Anchorage

Preferred design unveiled for revamped intersection at 36th and Seward Highway

A preferred design has been selected for the planned major overhaul of the intersection at 36th Avenue and Seward Highway in Midtown Anchorage, one that includes an overpass and interior on- and off-ramps.

After several months of public input, engineers with the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities announced the top design choice for the project last week. The DOT has spent the last 15 months evaluating alternatives, and in June the department put out a list of three options for public input.

Of those options, a "hybrid" design with interior ramps -- exit and entry access to the Seward Highway on the left of the main highway lanes -- rose to the top in the feedback process. The interior ramps, while unconventional, fit the space constraints of the intersection, said Sean Holland, the project manager for DOT.

Interior ramps are a relatively new design that is being used in Wasilla and in several places in Fairbanks.

The project is still at a concept level, Holland said. Engineers are targeting 30 percent design completion by spring 2015. A more refined picture of the final product, and the cost, will be available at that point, Holland said.

The price tag is expected to fall between $50 million and $60 million, with construction to start no earlier than 2016. The start date will depend on when funds are available, Holland said.

One standout feature of the project is the elimination of northbound access to the Seward Highway for those traveling east on 36th Avenue. Engineers cited safety and congestion concerns in making that decision.

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"Under current conditions, the tight space constraints would require weaving traffic across lanes at higher speeds with fewer gaps in the highway traffic," a June presentation notes, concluding, "A northbound entrance cannot be done safely at this time."

Holland said traffic movement eastbound to northbound makes up a relatively small percentage of all traffic in the intersection. That access could be installed in the future but improvements will first likely have to be made farther north, at Benson and Northern Lights boulevards, he said.

People traveling east on 36th Avenue will be encouraged to use A Street or Denali Street, or even Lake Otis Parkway, to go north, Holland said.

He added that the transportation department is still taking public feedback on the plans. Comments can be submitted at the project website, sewardand36th.com.

The overarching goals of the project, according to DOT officials, are to improve traffic flow in the area, shorten travel times and reduce a crash rate that has consistently been among the highest for intersections in the municipality. An average of 65,000 vehicles travel through the intersection daily.

Devin Kelly

Devin Kelly was an ADN staff reporter.

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