The recently released Alaska State Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP) includes the reconstruction of the Sterling Hwy from Baycrest Hill to Anchor Point, and the Homer Trails Alliance is advocating that a pedestrian underpass at Diamond Creek be built in addition to a STIP-planned culvert.
A press release sent out by the Homer Chamber of Commerce urges residents of the Kenai Peninsula to join the Trails Alliance and support this added construction, which would connect a number of trails on either side of the Sterling Highway.
Billy Day, a Homer Trails Alliance Board Member said the Alaska DOT had “grown to be very receptive and supportive of the idea.” And, though much of the design and planning for STIP projects has already concluded, Day believes there is still time to convince DOT decision makers to implement the proposed underpass. “I know that it’s late in the design phase for them to try to add this in, but it’s not completely too late yet. I think public pressure and public support will play a large role in whether or not this gets added to the project.”
The proposition has substantial merit. Such an underpass would connect the city owned 275 acre Diamond Creek Recreation Area on the East side of the Sterling Highway to the more than 300 plus acre Alaska State Park Diamond Creek Recreation Site on the West side. There is currently no such connection.
The press release states, “The proposed underpass not only offers a safe crossing of the Sterling Hwy but also provides connectivity to nearly 1000 acres of public recreation land. This vast recreational area includes the Alaska State Park’s Diamond Creek Recreation Site, City of Homer’s Diamond Creek Recreation Area, and the Homer Demonstration Forest. To ensure the success of this project, it is crucial for the public to express their support for the pedestrian underpass by submitting comments before September 3rd.”
“It really is going to be a game changer as far as how we tie in our hiking trails,” said Homer Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Brad Anderson, “and the city has donated a big portion of their land which is being used to bring all this together.”
As far the matter of cost, Day suggests now is the best time to implement such a highway crossing, and that delaying would increase the price tag significantly. “And it’s really the only safe and most economic way to provide pedestrian connectivity between the recreation areas. As you know, an overpass would be extremely expensive if we were to try to do that in the future. The underpass, by contrast, is by far and away the most economically viable way to make this happen.”
To comment and show your support for the pedestrian underpass, please visit: https:/publicinput.com/stip/#3.
When submitting your comment, reference STIP identifier 2670 and express your support for adding a pedestrian underpass at Sterling Hwy MP 167.5. You may also include any additional comments you deem necessary.