The Alaska Department of Transportation is expecting an over $330 million road project season this summer, one of the largest in the past decade.
Shannon McCarthy with the DOT said those funds a mostly federal monies or projects that were allocated to happen in prior years.
McCarthy: “One of the projects is Seward Highway, milepost 50-54.5, that will be pavement preservation on the Seward. We’re also wrapping up Homer East End Road. We’re also doing Sterling Highway, we’re doing improvements from milepost 135 – milepost 150, that will be resurfacing and it will include curb ramps, guardrails, deliniators, drainage, that sort of thing. And then in Soldotna we’re installing the Birch Road signal at the Sterling Highway.”
The Birch Road Intersection in Soldotna has been awarded and McCarthy said that project should begin soon.
She added that many of the projects include pavement preservation.
McCarthy: “We basically grind up the pavement, do any sort of leveling that needs to occur, many roads in southcentral have deep ruts in them so we’ll level those out and then repave and then that will extend the life of the road another ten to twelve years.”
Travelers may check 511 for construction delays during the summer.