Price tag for controversial Juneau road climbs to $449 million

The estimate released Thursday by the state Department of Transportation and Public Facilities includes both the department's annual review of costs, as well as an independent look by an agency with the Federal Highway Administration

Transportation Department project manager Reuben Yost says the Western Lands Center estimate of $491 million is close to the DOT estimate.

The price of the so-called Juneau Access Project keeps climbing, and Yost said the size of the higher estimate could make the project less likely to go forward.

The Juneau Empire reports the 2007 estimate was $350 million and the 2006 estimate was about $258 million.

Another $25.2 million has already been spent on the project.

The significant increase in price quickly drew critics.

"This is potentially a black hole for money," said Lois Epstein of the Alaska Transportation Priorities Project, which has long questioned the project's economics.

The road would stretch 51 miles up the east side of Lynn Canal to a new ferry terminal at Katzehin River to connect with Haines and Skagway.

Yost said there is currently no estimate of when Juneau Access might get built. A 2007 report included a construction estimate of 12 years but the 2009 report included no timeline at all.

For now, the project is stalled in court. A federal judge has ruled the state failed to consider ferry alternatives to the highway, and the state is appealing that decision.

The Western Federal Lands estimate is slightly higher than the state's in part because of the inclusion of two tunnels on the steep east side of Lynn Canal.

There was one significant decrease. The cost to build new shuttle ferries declined from $65 million to $13.4 million because the Alaska Marine Highway System is already building a new shuttle-type ferry on its own.