A section of the Sterling Highway along the Kenai River, originally built in 1950 and suffering from long-outdated highway standards, may finally be getting a reroute in years to come.
The Alaska Department of Transportation on Friday announced it has settled on a preferred route that would upgrade the safety and traffic flow on the highway that currently winds through Cooper Landing. A popular recreational area, Cooper Landing can become congested with traffic during summer months.
After more than a decade of assessment, the "G" South alternative – one of 5 options considered by DOT for improving the road – was found to be the best possibility. It runs north of the river, bypassing Cooper Landing, rather than the current route to the south.
"It avoids impacts to the trail systems and the designated wilderness," said Shannon McCarthy of the DOT. The route bypasses the Resurrection Pass Trail, the Juneau Falls Recreation Area and Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.
The total cost is estimated at $303.5 million, with the state's share around $30 million; the federal government would pay the rest.
DOT hopes to begin construction by 2018, but first must get approval from the Federal Highway Administration. Citizens also still have a chance to comment on the proposed route. DOT hopes to complete the project by 2023.
The Sterling Highway connects Kenai Peninsula towns with the rest of the state's road system. The department has been working on a new route to improve safety and traffic flow since issuing a draft environmental statement in 1982.
In 2001, part of the road was upgraded, but the remaining area, between Mile 45 and Mile 60, remains out of current highway standards. The 65-year-old route is "like taking a step back in time," McCarthy said. Newer roads have wider shoulders and cleared areas on the roadside. The existing stretch of highway is narrow and windy.
"This is a huge capacity improvement, a huge safety improvement," McCarthy said of the proposed design.
A new 5.5-mile stretch of highway would be built that crosses over the lower Juneau Creek and the Kenai River. The highway section would no longer wind so closely to the river near Kenai Lake. Eight more miles of road would be rebuilt for safety improvements.
Because of the scale of the project and location, the department had to go through the highest level of environmental documentation, McCarthy said.
"It's a very intriguing place in which to build because it is right next to the Kenai River that is hugely important to Alaskans and nationally," McCarthy said, referring to the river's salmon runs.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported the estimated completion date for the project. It is 2023 not 2033.