Leading into the new year, KSRM will be recapping our top ten stories of 2014: exploring the issues that had the deepest impact on our community.
In January 2014 it was announced that roundabouts would be implemented in Soldotna during summer 2014.
Chris Coombes, Co-Manager at the Packaging Store, near the intersection of Binkley and Marydale agreed with the city that that intersection had been a trouble spot for a long time…
Coombes: “We’ve been at this new location for about three years, and I’ve seen at least five wrecks at the Binkley-Marydale intersection, and a lot of very close wrecks, and traffic backed up both ways for almost every day. So, with a roundabout the stop and go traffic, hopefully, will be eliminated. I can see that actually helping a lot.”
As the plans moved on, the City of Soldotna solicited public comment on all aspects of the construction, City Engineer Kyle Kornelis.
Kornelis: “Adjacent property owners, anyone that commutes through there, we had folks from outside the city attending our cuncil meeting and provide some public testimony and that’s welcome as well because Binkley is our major collector there’s a lot of major sectors on Binkley St. from government to educational to medical to residential so we hope for a great turn out and hopefully we’ll see plenty of people.”
After a few public hearings some of the main core concerns from the public were…
Kornelis: “Core concerns are whether or not merging and the changing traffic patterns is going to be difficult for folks to understand, there’s a lot of concern about winter maintenance, pedestrian conflicts and things of that nature. I think we did a good job of talking about some of those things, some folks were satisfied others weren’t and I hope we can keep widdling away at it eventually find something that works.”
Another concern was impact on businesses, McDonald’s owner Scott Cunningham said they had expected some loss of business.
Cunningham: “But it has not been as bad as we thought it was going to be, it’s been pretty minimal.”
Ultimately he said it was better than the warning signs made it look.
Cunningham: “Human nature is to avoid road construction if at all possible and when you, oh just on the town side of bridge in Soldotna all of a sudden there’s road closed signs and detour signs and all kinds of signs warning you of impending doom if you proceed forward.”
As Project Manager Lee Frey continued to update us when each roundabout would open, he said they only faced a few set backs this summer.
Frey: “We have had some incidences of people vandalizing the concrete when that’s been poured in the evening after the construction crews are gone, we just wanted to remind everybody that vandalism is a crime, try not to vandalize the concrete and we will be going anybody that we catch doing that.”
The project also faced a few weather setbacks but mostly stayed on schedule through it all, opeining their last roundabout at Marydale and Binkley on October 7 and project finishing for the year on October 17.
On the 17th, Traffic Control Supervisor Andrea Bock with the Project said all that was left for next year was a sewer lift station at the Binkley Corral intersection.
Bock: “We have eliminated all clean up, we have gotten the last bits and pieces of equipment out of there today. And we should not be back until spring for that lift station but other than that we are done for the season.”