Unalaska, AK – Work has begun in earnest on construction of a new South Channel bridge. Local contractors and state Department of Transportation personnel are in Unalaska doing preliminary work for the project, which is scheduled to be completed in three years. ADOT Project Manager Shaun Combs said they'll probably finish sooner than that.

"Weather permitting, we're shooting for a two year project," he said. "Hopefully we'll be wrapping things up around October 2008, and removing the existing bridge."

ADOT doesn't think the current wood-surfaced bridge between Amaknak and Unalaska Islands is sturdy enough to survive a serious earthquake.

The work that's happening right now near the bridge site is a pre-construction project that will reroute Airport Beach Road through the Robinson property, to move it out of the way of blasting that's necessary for the bridge construction.

Excavation work is not yet completed at the controversial ancient village site on the Amaknak side of the channel. The archaeological team contracted for that project will be resuming work there later this month, and wrapping up in late summer.