The Alaska Gasline Development Corporation has chosen a route for the Kenai Spur Highway around its planned natural gas liquefaction plant.

The preferred route, announced in a public meeting in Nikiski on Wednesday evening, would stay relatively close to the edge of the planned plant near the bluff in Nikiski. The rerouted section would be about 3.4 miles long, departing the current highway around mile 19, joining North Miller Loop and rejoining the existing highway between miles 21 and 22.

The final announcement is shorter and affects fewer property owners than previously discussed versions. A total of 34 parcels are affected, seven of which the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation would need to fully purchase. Of those seven, two are commercial and five are residential. Several of the affected parcels are near the planned plant border.

The highway reroute is one piece of the planning the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation needs to complete as it moves toward final approval and construction for the megaproject meant to monetize the natural gas on the North Slope. An approximately 800-mile pipeline would traverse the Interior, go beneath Cook Inlet and reemerge at the plant in Nikiski, where the gas would be liquefied and exported to world markets.

The public meeting in Nikiski was still ongoing as of press time. Check back with us tomorrow for more details.

Reach Ben Boettger at bboettger@peninsulaclarion.com.