The new track, laid on the east side of the existing rail, will ease congestion on one of the busiest corridors and prepare the railroad to accommodate an increase in future passenger and freight service, according to the company.

Patrick Flynn, spokesman for the railroad, said that it is common for 20 or more trains to pass that section of rail in a day.

The construction will result in disrupted use of the Campbell Creek trail where the railroad passes overhead. Delays could run up to an hour but alternative routes will be available. To ensure the safety of trail users, project contractor Wilder Construction will post flaggers along the trail from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m Monday through Friday.

"By working during weekdays, we hope to minimize the inconvenience to trail users, but safety dictates this course of action," Kraig Hughes, project management director for the railroad said in a press release.

Construction of the bridge will not effect road traffic, Flynn said.

Wilder won the $11.8 million bid for the double track project. The Campell Creek bridge consumes $4.8 million of the total project cost. The Federal Transit Authority funded 80 percent of the cost for the construction and the Alaska Railroad paid for the remaining 20 percent.

The railroad will also construct a section of track which will allow trains departing the new terminal at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport to travel south. The $970,000 budget for that section of the track is funded by the Federal Railroad Administration.

Construction of the South Anchorage double track project began in early fall 2001 and is scheduled to be finished by June 2.

The completion of the project will come just as the railroad is gearing up start their new passenger service between Seward and Anchorage with a stop at the airport depot. The route is designed to carry cruise ship passengers to and from Anchorage. The round-trip service will run five times a week starting in mid-May.