In the enduring saga of the Binkley Street improvements, the next phase of road construction will limit access to the Soldotna US Post Office.
A temporary route is being constructed on Park Avenue between Fireweed Avenue and Binkley Street for all traffic directed to the post office, said project manager Lee Frey. Work will be concentrated to the area between Corral Avenue and Park Avenue and is expected to begin on Saturday.
“Hopefully contractors can get through quickly,” Frey said. “This construction in this section is nothing major — just roadwork, gutter, asphalt, curb and sidewalk replacement. There is not a lot of underground.”
At the Park Avenue intersection the traffic light is being replaced with a new pedestrian walkway, Frey said. The new crossing signs will have high intensity lights that will blink at rapid speeds, he said.
The current pedestrian crossing at the intersection is not the effective, Frey said. Drivers don’t always stop when faced with a red light once a walker has pushed the crosswalk button. The fire hydrant located at the Park Avenue intersection will also be replaced, he said.
Wrap up on the project is still slated for October, Frey said. At this point it is possible construction may carry over into the spring, he said.
The lift station on the corner of Marydale Avenue and Binkley Street is going to be a lot of work, Frey said. It is one of the biggest in the city as the Central Peninsula Hospital feeds into that sewage vein.
Once construction is halted for fall, the roads will be completely open all winter, even if the project is not finished until next spring, he said. It depends on when winter begins.
All businesses within construction areas will remain open during their normal business hours, according the city’s improvements update website, binkleystreet.org.
The Soldotna Professional Pharmacy can only be accessed from Marydale Avenue, according to the website. Businesses along Binkley Street north of Corral Avenue should use Corral for access. The Binkley Street Improvements is the first major rehabilitation since the road was constructed 30 years ago, according to the website. State of Alaska grants fully funded the reconstruction.
Kelly Sullivan can be reached at kelly.sullivan@peninsulaclarion.com
