(ANCHORAGE, Alaska) –Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) released the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) today for the Sterling Highway 45-60 project and is asking for public comments.

The Sterling Highway 45-60, commonly known as the “Cooper Landing Bypass,” presents four “build” alternatives which would reconstruct and realign the Sterling Highway through the Kenai River Valley. The 15 mile stretch of highway is congested, particularly in summer months, does not meet modern highway standards, and has safety concerns.

The project area is complex; with challenging topography and surrounding state and national recreational and cultural resources. The supplemental environmental work is needed to augment a study that was completed in 1994 for a larger project area, a portion of which was already constructed.

The draft document outlines four “build” alternatives on which the public can review and comment. Each of the alternatives would construct a new section of highway with current standards, including 12 foot lanes and 8 foot shoulders, passing lanes, and left-turn lanes where needed. Each of the alternatives routes traffic around the community of Cooper Landing.

ADOT&PF is hosting open houses and formal public hearings on the Draft SEIS in Anchorage, Cooper Landing, Soldotna and Washington D.C. next month. The public can review the Draft SEIS on line at www.sterlinghighway.net or in person at local libraries in Anchorage, Juneau, Kenai, Soldotna and Cooper Landing. The comment period is open from Friday, March 27th through Tuesday, May 26th.

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities oversees 237 airports, 9 ferries serving 35 communities along 3,500 marine miles, over 5,600 miles of highway and 839 public facilities throughout the state of Alaska. The mission of the department is to “Keep Alaska Moving through service and infrastructure.”

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