An area cleared for the Cooper Landing bypass project can be seen below Slaughter Ridge in Cooper Landing, Alaska, on July 18, 2020. (Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

An area cleared for the Cooper Landing bypass project can be seen below Slaughter Ridge in Cooper Landing, Alaska, on July 18, 2020. (Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Snug Harbor drivers will see delays

Travelers through Cooper Landing should expect traffic delays on Snug Harbor Road and along the Sterling Highway in Cooper Landing throughout the summer due to construction.

Drivers should expect delays along Snug Harbor Road near Kenai Lake, which is undergoing work as part of the Snug Harbor Road Paving and Bike Lane Phase II project. That project, carried out by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration, is meant to enhance the long-term stability of multiple existing steep slopes along Snug Harbor Road, according to the Federal Highway Administration.

Work on that project was set to begin the week of July 5, though construction was paused between July 2 and July 6 due to the Fourth of July holiday.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Specifically, the steep slopes along the road will be flattened to reduce the potential for erosion during spring breakup and during extreme precipitation events, the Federal Highway Administration said. Phase I of the project was targeted toward improving pedestrian safety along Snug Harbor Road via the construction of a separate pedestrian path and by widening the road. Phase I also aimed to improve drainage along the road and extended the existing asphalt by one-half of one mile.

Funding for the project, which is expected to be completed this fall, came from the Federal Highway Administration’s Federal Lands Access Program.

According to a project newsletter distributed earlier this month, Drennon Construction & Consulting Inc., the project contractor, is scheduled to work Monday through Saturday, with flagging operations running from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Motorists should expect delays and one-lane traffic control.

Delays along Snug Harbor Road are in addition to those motorists should expect when traveling along the Sterling Highway through Cooper Landing this summer.

Construction is already underway as part of the Sterling Highway MP 45-60 project, also known as the Cooper Landing Bypass Project. That project, being done through the Alaska Department of Transportation, aims to reduce congestion on the Sterling Highway through Cooper Landing and to improve highway safety by constructing an alternative route through the area.

When completed, about 10 miles of new road will veer off of the Sterling Highway starting at about Mile 46.5 and cross Juneau Creek via a steel arch bridge before rejoining the Sterling Highway around Mile 56.

As part of the Cooper Landing Bypass Project, traffic restrictions will occur throughout July, including a detour at Mile 56 of the Sterling Highway, a new traffic pattern in that area and a reduced speed limit of 35 mph. Additionally, motorcyclists should proceed with caution on the detour and be aware of a gravel surface on the detour. Drivers should drive at a reduced speed of 45 mph between Mile 54.5 and 58 of the Sterling Highway and be aware of heavy equipment moving within the project zone.

That is according to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities’ Navigator program, which can be accessed online and shows up-to-date information about construction delays on Alaska roads. Road conditions can also be checked ahead of travel at 511.alaska.gov.

Reach reporter Ashlyn O’Hara at ashlyn.ohara@peninsulaclarion.com.

More in News

A map of areas proposed for annexation by the City of Soldotna. (Provided by City of Soldotna)
Soldotna adds annexation proposal to ballot

The proposed annexation is split across five small areas around the city.

Nets are extended from North Kenai Beach in Kenai, Alaska, during the first day of the Kenai River personal use dipnet fishery on Thursday, July 10, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
‘A really good day’

Kenai River personal use sockeye salmon dipnet fishery opens.

The entrance to the Kenai Peninsula Borough building in Soldotna is seen here on June 1. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)
Borough assembly to consider ordinance to increase residential property tax exemption

If approved by voters in October, the ordinance would increase the tax exemption by $25,000.

Vice President Kelly Cooper speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly in Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Borough considers seasonal sales tax rate

Borough sales tax would be modified from a flat 3% to a seasonal model of 4% in summer months and 2% in winter months.

The Kasilof River is seen from the Kasilof River Recreation Area, July 30, 2019, in Kasilof, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)
King salmon fishing on Kasilof closes Thursday

If any king salmon is caught while fishing for other species, they may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.

Un’a, a female sea otter pup who was admitted to the Alaska SeaLife Center in June 2025, plays with an enrichment toy at the center in Seward, Alaska. Photo courtesy of the Alaska SeaLife Center
SeaLife Center admits 2 seal pups, 1 orphaned otter

The three pups join the Alaska SeaLife Center’s ‘growing’ patient list.

James Wardlow demonstrates flilleting a salmon with an ulu during a smoked salmon demonstration, part of Fish Week 2023, on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Refuge to celebrate all things fish during weeklong event

Fish Week will take place July 16-19.

President Zen Kelly speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, July 7, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
School board finalizes budget with deep cuts to programming, classrooms

Multiple members of the board said they were frustrated by the state’s failure to fund education.

Most Read

You're browsing in private mode.
Please sign in or subscribe to continue reading articles in this mode.

Peninsula Clarion relies on subscription revenue to provide local content for our readers.

Subscribe

Already a subscriber? Please sign in