There are four different options to relocate a 15-mile stretch of the Sterling Highway in order to avoid Cooper Landing including the Juneau Creek Alternative, which Governor Bill Walker and the Alaska congressional delegation prefer, and the G-South Alternative, which is the federal governments choice route. (Photo courtesy of Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities)

There are four different options to relocate a 15-mile stretch of the Sterling Highway in order to avoid Cooper Landing including the Juneau Creek Alternative, which Governor Bill Walker and the Alaska congressional delegation prefer, and the G-South Alternative, which is the federal governments choice route. (Photo courtesy of Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities)

Walker, congressional delegation advocate for northern Cooper Landing bypass route

Gov. Bill Walker and Alaska’s congressional delegation are asking for a resolution in the long-running dispute on how to build a 15-mile bypass of a section of the Sterling Highway along the Kenai River near Cooper Landing.

In a letter addressed to the secretaries of the Department of the Interior, Department of Transportation and Department of Agriculture, Walker and senators Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan and Rep. Don Young wrote “like most Alaskans,” they believe the Juneau Creek Alternative is the best of the four options for the project, known commonly as the Cooper Landing Bypass.

“It will run 1.5 miles north of Kenai Lake, so it will not require any construction delays or new bridges crossing the rivers and will protect salmon and other key ecosystem drivers from most sediment and road runoff,” the letter states.

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

The route would depart from the Sterling Highway and go north into the mountains. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities’ preferred route, known as the G-South Alternative, is more expensive and “undermines the purpose and benefits of realignment,” the letter states.

The G-South Alternative has the least deviation from the current route of the Sterling Highway and includes the construction of two new bridges and a remodel of the current Kenai River bridge crossing near Kenai Lake. A second option would travel south of the community along Cooper Creek and the final option offers a variant to the Juneau Creek alternative.

“The more expensive G-South Alternative undermines the purpose and benefits of realignment,” the letter states.

It also says that the route selection, which is based off of an interpretation of the Federal Highway Act of 1966, “appears to undervalue the importance of fish and wildlife habitat, traditional activities, cultural sites and enhanced recreation.”

The Juneau Creek Alternative is not without fault, though, as it bisects the Ressurection Pass Trail and passes near Juneau Falls, which DOT notes as a national recreation area. It would also travel through a congressionally designated wilderness area and would impact a Kenaitze Indian Tribe historical site near the Russian River. DOT justified its selection of the G-South Alternative because of the complexity of crossing the wilderness area, which requires congressional approval, and the impact to the trail and to the historical site.

The letter states that it is critical to the safety of Alaskan motorists and the safety of salmon fisheries for the departments to work together on a resolution before the completion of the current environmental review process currently scheduled for early next year.

Reach Kat Sorensen at kat.sorensen@peninsulaclarion.com.

More in News

Protesters stand along the Sterling Highway in Soldotna, Alaska, participating in the “Remove, Reverse, Reclaim” protest organized by Many Voices and Kenai Peninsula Protests as part of the nationwide 50501 effort on Saturday, April 5, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Hundreds turn out in Homer, Soldotna to protest actions of Trump administration

Signs expressed support for federal programs, services and employees, as well as diversity, democracy and science.

The setting sun over Kachemak Bay highlights Mount Augustine in the distance on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Augustine Island geothermal lease sale opens

Tracts are available on the northern half of the island, located in the lower Cook Inlet.

Alaska State Troopers logo.
Seldovia man found dead in submerged vehicle

83-year-old Seldovia resident Roger Wallin Sr. was declared missing on March 31.

Kenai City Manager Terry Eubank speaks during Kenai’s State of the City presentation at the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center in Kenai, Alaska, on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Services, projects spotlighted at Kenai’s State of the City

Mayor Brian Gabriel and City Manager Terry Eubank delivered the seventh annual address.

The Homer Public Library. File photo
In wake of executive order, peninsula libraries, museums brace for funding losses

Trump’s March 14 executive order may dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services “to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.”

Cracks split the siding outside of Soldotna High School on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
SoHi siding, Hope roof repair projects move forward

The Soldotna project has been reduced from its original scope.

Jacob Caldwell, chief executive officer of Kenai Aviation, stands at the Kenai Aviation desk at the Kenai Municipal Airport on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2022, in Kenai, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Aviation selected to provide air service to Seward

Scheduled flights between Seward and Anchorage will begin May 1.

Monte Roberts, left, and Greg Brush, right, raise their hands during an emergency meeting of the Kenai River Special Management Area Advisory Board’s guide committee at the Kenai Peninsula Region Office of Alaska State Parks near Soldotna, Alaska, on Feb. 25, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
KRSMA board pushes back on new guide stipulations, calls for public process

Stipulations 32 and 40 were included in an updated list emailed to Kenai River guides.

KPBSD Board of Education member Patti Truesdell speaks during a town hall meeting hosted by three Kenai Peninsula legislators in the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly Chambers in Soldotna, Alaska, on Saturday, March 29, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Education hot topic at local legislative town hall

More than 100 people attended a three-hour meeting where 46 spoke.

Most Read