Alaska DOT decides on plan for Sterling Highway update

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities and the Federal Highway Administration recently identified the construction plan for improvements to Sterling Highway.

The Sterling Highway MP 45-60 Project will use the plan outline known as the G South Alternative. This plan calls for the construction of 5.5 miles of new alignment just north of Cooper Landing, which would include the building of two new bridges at lower Juneau Creek and at Kenai River. The highway will then reconnect with current alignment near MP 52. Eight miles of the current highway would also be reconstructed as part of the plan.

The goal of this alternative is to update the highway but minimize the impact on the environment and nearby settlements. The Resurrection Pass Trail, the Juneau Falls Recreation Area and the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge are all avoided with this plan.

The plan was chosen after the consideration of public comments following the distribution of the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Draft Section 4(f) Evaluation. The decision isn't final until the Record of Decision is recorded, which is expected in 2016, with construction starting in 2018.