Traffic was cut off and detoured Monday at mile 9.8 of the Kenai Spur Highway while the Alaska Department of Transportation worked to replace an aging culvert.

Monday marked day three of a 10-day project that is scheduled to switch out four pipes, repave and stripe the roadways and improve and rehabilitate sidewalks for bicycles and pedestrians between mile post 8 and 12.4 of the Kenai Spur Highway. Sidewalk improvements will also take place on Kalifornsky Beach Road near Skyline Drive, Murwood Avenue and the Sterling Highway.

“It is three projects associated with one,” said Donny Greva, DOT engineering assistant for the project. “We are working on the easiest of the four (culverts) right now.”

Projects like this are usually planned two to three years ahead of time, he said.

Workers reached a point Monday where they would have to shut down lanes going both directions and send vehicles down Lawton Drive but are expected to open the roadway back up by Tuesday morning, Greva said. Construction on the other culverts should not be as invasive but some may require flaggers and detouring, he said.

Other culvert replacements will be made at mile 10.2 of the Kenai Spur Highway, Greva said.

All construction that may obstruct traffic must be complete by the start of dipnet season, Greva said, when flaggers and detours are no longer allowed per contractual obligations.

Construction will continue 24 hours every day until the project is complete.

Reach Kelly Sullivan at kelly.sullivan@peninsulaclarion.com.

Photo by Kelly Sullivan/ Peninsula Clarion Alaska Department of Transporation employees are working around the clock to finish putting in a culvert at mile 9.8 of the Kenai Spur Highway on Monday, June 6, 2016, in Kenai, Alaska. All traffic was diverted away from the segment of roadway that was closed down entirely for the day, but is expected to open back up Tuesday morning.

Photo by Kelly Sullivan/ Peninsula Clarion Alaska Department of Transporation employees diverted the creek contained by the aging culvert that is currently being replaced Monday, June 6, 2016, in Kenai, Alaska.