Initial stages of the Cooper Landing Bypass Project(Sterling Highway 45-60 Project) are open for public comment.
The Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement opened for a 60 day public comment period on March 27.
Shanon McCarthy with the Department of Transportation…
McCarthy: “That’s a huge document and a lot of research has gone into it and at this point we have a draft document so what we’re asking the public to do is review that and make comments on it. Every comment we receive, either verbal or written, emailed, all those kinds of things, they’ll be put into the records, they’ll be considered and they’ll be answered. And the public can go to our website sterlinghighway.net to take a look at all of the documents and if they just want a quick overview there’s also an executive study.”
She said the project is still in its initial phases and there will still be a few years before construction.
McCarthy: “This draft SEIS is open for public comment until May 26 and then after that they will take all comments under consideration and they’ll select a preferred alternative for the final EIS. Then that will go out again for public comment and from that point forward that’s when the real tasks for construction begin.”
There will be joint open houses and public hearings in Cooper Landing at the Community Hall on April 21 from 4-8 pm and in Soldotna at the Sports Complex from 4-8 on April 22.