Though some stubborn pockets of snow still linger, road construction projects are already getting underway. The State Department of Transportation and Public Facilities lists several projects planned around the Kenai Peninsula Borough this year, and several kicking off this week.
A map of projects and information like traffic impacts and start and end dates can be accessed at dot.alaska.gov/construction.
New projects scheduled for this year include the start of Phase II rehabilitation of the Kenai Spur Highway, pedestrian improvements in Soldotna and on the Kenai River Flats, and culvert replacement on the Seward and Hope highways.
At Seward Highway Milepost 61.5, near Hope Junction, culverts and headwalls will be replaced, and an embankment will be reconstructed to meet standards for fish habitat and flow requirements. Construction starts Monday, May 6, with crews working from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Speed limits will be reduced to 55 miles per hour in the area, and delays may be up to 20 minutes. The project earns wetland mitigation credits to offset the impacts of the larger Sterling Highway bypass project.
Kenai Spur Highway Rehabilitation Phase II, which starts this year and will continue through 2026, is set to address issues on the highway — where crash rates exceed statewide averages. According to department information, the road will be widened to five lanes between Sports Lake Road and Eagle Rock Road and lighting will be installed between Delta Avenue and Dolly Varden Street.
“Soldotna Community Connections,” a project scheduled for construction from August to October, will improve and expand pedestrian facilities between Soldotna Creek Park and Mullen Drive, including lighting improvements.
The Kenai River Flats Pedestrian Improvements will see an accessible walkway constructed along the bank of the Kenai River near the Warren Ames Bridge and renovation of the parking lot on Kenai’s Bridge Access Road. The walkway will include four sets of stairs that provide river access. No start or end time is specified in the department listing.
The Hope Highway renovation also has no defined start or end time, but will, in addition to replacing the culverts, include some resurfacing, erosion protection, and improvements to guard rails, signs and striping.
There are several ongoing projects which will also result in travel and traffic impacts.
Pavement preservation efforts on Cohoe Loop Road and Funny River Road restarted this week, according to the department. Starting on Monday, May 6, work is expected to resume in the roadway, and the roads may see single lane closures and flaggers.
Work on the replacement of Quartz Creek Bridge on Quartz Creek Road also resumed this week, and is expected to continue through mid-August. The department writes that work will be active from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with workers, flaggers and equipment in the work zone.
On the Seward Highway, resurfacing work from Milepost 0-8, which goes through Seward and Bear Creek, is scheduled for completion in August. Up the road, between Moose Pass and Seward from Mileposts 17 and 22.5, construction has been ongoing to replace and rehabilitate bridges and roads with completion scheduled for this year.
Work is also being done on three bridges near Seward Highway Mileposts 78, 79 and 80, close to Girdwood, where construction will be underway daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and reduced speed limits are implemented.
The Sterling Highway Milepost 45-60 Project, which would bypass much of Cooper Landing, will see work done on Phase II, as well as preparation for Phases III and IV this year. Phase II, which began in 2023 and is expected to continue through 2028, will build a bridge spanning Juneau Creek Canyon.
Development for Phases III and IV will include the creation of staging and disposal sites, roadway embankment, drainage and wildlife undercrossing for the new roadway,
Homer Airport improvements are also ongoing, including this year the rehabilitation of several taxiways and replacement of path indicators, lighting and sign systems. The airport will be closed at night for the work through October, runway length has been shortened, affecting airline operations, and two full closures are scheduled for “mid-July” and “early/mid-October,” with exact dates to be published “as soon as they are finalized.”
Construction is also scheduled for Skilak Lake Road and Swan Lake Road this summer, according to an email from Anchorage-based STG Pacific, who are working with the Western Federal Lands Highway Division. The work will include culvert replacement, embankment and resurfacing — including three new passages for aquatic life.
On Skilak Lake Road, construction is scheduled near Jean Creek from Wednesday, May 1 through June 9; near Lower Ohmer from June 5 through July 20 and near Unnamed Creek from June 25 through Aug. 1.
On Swan Lake Road, construction is scheduled near Sucker Creek from Wednesday, May 1 through June 15; near Unnamed Tributary from May 17 through July 15 and near Rainbow Creek from June 5 through Aug. 1.
In Kenai on Monday, a sign was posted on Bridge Access Road near Beaver Loop Road saying that daily construction would happen for the next 13 miles in the direction of the Warren Ames Bridge starting Tuesday. A representative of the department said Wednesday that the work in the area is part of an area-wide effort to inventory and upgrade guardrails on roadways with speeds greater than 50 miles per hour. The work will extend down Bridge Access Road and onto Kalifornsky Beach Road, but the department said crews likely won’t remain in any one area for very long, and traffic should not be significantly impacted.
For more information about any of the projects described, as well as maps of the affected areas, visit dot.alaska.gov/construction.
This story was edited Wednesday to add clarifying information about construction on Bridge Access Road.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
