Residents and visitors to downtown Soldotna may have to plan a little extra time for construction on Kobuk Street next week.

The Kobuk Street Project could cause traffic delays and detours as soon as next week, project manager Lee Frey said.

The project will remove and replace asphalt from Redoubt Avenue to Marydale Avenue. Curbs, gutters and sidewalks will be replaced with new curb ramps that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Underground utility repairs, which could start next week, will come prior to the surface work. Kyle Kornelis, Soldotna public works director, said that Kobuk Street is more than 30 years old and shows obvious physical deficiencies.

Once the underground utility work is complete, drivers can expect further delays in early to mid-August when resurfacing begins. “

The contractor has been diligently working on the side of the road and minimizing traffic disruptions,” Kornelis said. “Unfortunately there is no way to pave an existing road without some traffic control, and pretty soon we will have to temporarily adjust lane widths and occasionally go to single-lane or complete detours for short durations.”

Kornelis says the project will be complete before students in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District head back to class Aug. 21.

Reach Victoria Petersen at vpetersen@peninsulaclarion.com.