The run
From the yard on Gambell to the Eagle River exit is about thirteen miles of Glenn Highway, fifteen minutes in summer and whatever the highway decides in January. Chugiak, Birchwood and Peters Creek add five to ten minutes past that on the Old Glenn or the highway. It is close enough that Eagle River gets Anchorage pit material at close to Bowl trucking, and far enough that we ask for a full tandem rather than a partial load, the same split the rest of the market publishes: a 10-yard minimum for Eagle River and Peters Creek against 5 in the Bowl.
What the ground is like
Eagle River Valley lots sit on glacial outwash and river gravel, which is good news: many driveways out here need only a D-1 top course over ground that already drains. The Hiland Road and upper valley lots are a different story, with steep approaches, switchbacks and long driveways that a loaded truck has to climb and, more to the point, come back down. Peters Creek and the Birchwood benches have more silt and more spring water. Before we quote a Hiland driveway we ask how long it is, how steep, and whether it was plowed, because a tandem that cannot get turned around at the top is a problem for both of us.
What we haul out here
- D-1 and 3/4 minus top course for driveways; pit run and 3-inch minus for the base under new driveways and pads.
- Screened topsoil for the new subdivisions off Eagle River Loop and the Old Glenn, where the builder left gravel and the owner wants grass.
- Spoils haul-off from foundations and septic work, to Bowl disposal sites.
- Snow hauling for HOAs and the commercial lots along the Old Glenn Highway strip, where the piles run out of room by January.
- Trucks with operators for contractors working the valley subdivisions.
Snow: a different winter
Eagle River gets more snow than the Bowl and the valley wind puts it where the plow cannot. HOA roads with one plow lane left, and church and school lots by the highway, are our regular winter calls. Hauled snow goes back down the Glenn to a permitted disposal site in the Bowl, the ADEC siting rules apply everywhere in the Municipality, and that extra drive is why we recommend hauling Eagle River lots early in the season, in December, while the piles are snow rather than ice. The snow hauling page covers pricing and timing.
JBER
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson sits between Eagle River and the Bowl, and deliveries to on-base housing or contractor sites need gate access for the truck and driver arranged by the sponsor in advance. We have done it; it takes a day or two of lead time and the driver's details. Deliveries to addresses outside the gates, including the Muldoon side, are ordinary.
Spring on the Glenn
The Glenn Highway is a state road, and in breakup the state cuts legal axle weights on many routes; the DOT&PF notices say which and by how much. The Municipality restricts some of its own roads in the valley too. In a restricted week a full 12-ton load of D-1 may go as two lighter loads or wait a few days; we tell you which on the quote. Details on the breakup page.
Questions we get about this
What is the minimum delivery to Eagle River?
A full load for gravel and fill: 12 yards, or 12 tons for heavy material like D-1. Partial loads only if we already have a truck up the valley that day.
Can you get up Hiland Road?
Usually, in summer, with a firm driveway. Winter and breakup depend on the surface. Tell us the driveway length and grade and we will say yes or no before you order.
Do you haul snow in Eagle River?
Yes, for HOAs, commercial lots and shared private roads. Disposal is in the Bowl, so book early in the winter when the piles are lighter.
Where does the material come from?
Anchorage pits, usually the ones on the east and north side of the Bowl for the shortest run. The pit is on the ticket.