Binkley Street improvements on schedule

  • By Kelly Sullivan
  • Saturday, July 5, 2014 10:04pm
  • News

Less than one month after the opening of the first roundabout at the intersection of Binkley Street and Wilson Lane, the downtown improvement plan is still on track.

Construction is moving steadily toward Redoubt Avenue, the second intersection of Soldotna’s three-tiered Binkley Street improvement plan.

In the first week of July, workers are laying the concrete for the widening of both sidewalks between Riverview Avenue and Redoubt Avenue, said project manager for the Binkley Street Improvements Lee Frey.

“There is a lot of new sidewalk between Redoubt and Riverview,” Frey said. “It is all being redone.”

On the eastern side of the roadway sidewalks will range between 7 feet wide and 8 feet wide, including thick green strips to separate bikers and pedestrians from the faster moving vehicle traffic, Frey said. Across the street the sidewalk will be about 6 feet wide.

The Binkley Street improvement plan focuses on creating routes that are safe and convenient for foot and bicycle traffic, as well as motorists, Frey said. The intersection of Redoubt Avenue and Binkley Street is scheduled to be complete by the end of July.

Public churches, doctor’s offices and apartment complexes are the structures dealing with the traffic constraints, Frey said.

The first few days are the most challenging for residents, Frey said. While the city tries to get the word out on Facebook and the City of Soldotna website it still takes some by surprise, and others just need a few days to get used to the change, he said. So far, the city has heard mixed feedback on the Wilson Lane roundabout, which opened to traffic on June 11, Frey said.

While there have been a few complaints, people are generally figuring out how to use the new intersection.

“I think people are still getting used to it,” Frey said.

Overall, things have gone smoothly, and Frey said he is happy with the project’s progression.

The entire project will be finished in October, Frey said. The project has managed to stay on schedule even after occasionally running into some unexpected repairs. “You always find something you weren’t expecting when you are digging underground,” Frey said.

More in News

The Kenai Peninsula College main entrance on Aug. 18, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Chiappone and Dunstan to speak at the KPC Showcase

Kenai Peninsula College continues its showcase with two new speakers this week and next

U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, talks about issues of concern regarding the proposed merger of supermarket chains Kroger and Albertsons during a floor speech in the House chamber on Wednesday. (Screenshot from official U.S. House of Representatives video feed)
Begich leads in early results, but Alaska’s U.S. House race won’t be immediately decided

About 245,000 ballots had been counted by 11:32 p.m., and Peltola trailed by about 5 percentage points

The Alaska governor’s mansion on Wednesday. Gov. Mike Dunleavy is considered a contender for a post in Donald Trump’s second presidential administration. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Election summary: Trump wins, GOP takes over U.S. Senate, Alaska may get new governor

Begich and repeal of ranked choice voting narrowly lead; GOP may lose control of state House.

Nesbett Courthouse in downtown Anchorage on Oct. 7, 2024. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Voters line up at the polling site at Anchorage City Hall on Nov. 4, 2024. City Hall was one of the designated early voting sites in Alaska’s largest city. It is not a designated site for Election Day voting. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Alaska Republicans lose two seats in state House, increasing odds of leadership switch

Rural Alaska precincts had reported few results by 11:30 p.m. Tuesday night.

Donald Trump won or was leading as of Wednesday morning in all seven swing states in the 2024 presidential election. (Doug Mills / The New York Times)
Donald Trump returns to power, ushering in new era of uncertainty

He played on fears of immigrants and economic worries to defeat Vice President Kamala Harris.

A voter is handed as ballot at Woodworth School in Dearborn, Mich., on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. One of the most consequential presidential elections in the nation’s modern history is well underway, as voters flocked to churches, schools and community centers to shape the future of American democracy. (Nick Hagen/The New York Times)
Trump verges on victory, picking up Pennsylvania

Donald Trump has captured Pennsylvania, the biggest prize of the seven battleground… Continue reading

Signs and supporters line the Kenai Spur Highway in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Update: Unofficial results for the 2024 general election

Preliminary, unofficial election results as of 9:55 p.m.

Poll worker Carol Louthan helps voters submit ballots at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Update: Bjorkman, Ruffridge, Elam and Vance lead in election night results

Several residents said that they came out to vote because they knew this election was “a big one.”

Most Read