The Kenai Peninsula Borough and Alaska Department of Transportation will host a town hall event on Monday, June 17, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. to give the public another opportunity to raise concerns or seek clarification on issues like road maintenance and salt brine utilization.
DOT Commissioner Ryan Anderson and Special Assistant Andy Mills, along with Borough Mayor Peter Micciche, will be present to field community members’ questions and concerns.
This is the second time the Anderson and Mills duo will visit the peninsula for such a gathering. In October 2023, a similar town hall took place, primarily to discuss the growing concern amongst peninsula residents over the potentially corrosive effects of the winter road brine mixture used on peninsula roads. Borough Mayor Peter Micciche orchestrated the meeting after he sent a letter to the commissioner regarding the road conditions and requested that the DOT address the salt brine issue.
During that meeting, a standing-room-only Betty Glick Assembly Chambers saw a line of locals form behind the public testimony podium to voice their frustrations and tell their brine corrosion stories.
Earlier that month, the DOT committed to reducing salt brine usage on peninsula roads this winter and to performing a full, year-long literature analysis and review of brine policy and procedures. No doubt many will attend, hoping for an update on the progress of that review.
The last update came in December last year, when the DOT made a social media post outlining a plan for reduced brine usage during the 2023-24 winter. In that post, the department explained how maintenance and operations would continue using brine on what the state identifies as Priority 1 and 2 roads and treat Priority 3 and 4 roads on the peninsula with sand and solid salt.
On the DOT website, Priority 1 and 2 roads are identified as “high-volume, high-speed highways, expressways, minor highways, all safety corridors, and other major urban and community routes” (P1) and “routes of lesser priority based on traffic volume, speeds, and uses. Typically, these are major highways and arterials connecting communities” (P2). At this time, the department says they cannot eliminate brine treatment on these roads this season and continue their maintenance to an “appropriate level of service and safety with current equipment and staffing.”
Priority 3 & 4, “lower speed” are classified by the DOT as “major local roads or collector roads located in larger urban communities” (P3), and “minor local roads that provide residential or recreational access” (P4).
Those who plan to attend Monday’s meeting can let the borough know by visiting the event page on Facebook, though doing so is not required.
