McCarthy Road MP 41 Crystal Creek Culvert Replacement (FLAP) Project No. NFHWY00538/0850(029)

Photo: Crystal Creek culvert crossing in September 2020

We are working to reconstruct approximately 750 feet of McCarthy Road at Crystal Creek (around mile 41). The road in this section has an approximately 24 foot wide surface and Crystal Creek runs under the road, currently through three culverts.

The purpose of this project is to replace the three undersized and deteriorating culverts with a new structure. The culverts are nearing the end of their useful life. Through this project, a new culvert structure will be installed that will improve the ability for fish, specifically Coho salmon and trout, to pass through safely. The roadway grade will be slightly raised and shifted to improve safety and driver comfort.

The culverts are separating and leaking under the road, causing the slopes to erode. The roadway at this location also has pronounced dip and a sharp horizontal curve, which will also be corrected as part of this project.

Work on this project includes:

• Flattening profile to reduce dip, accomplished through an approximately two-foot grade raise
• Road shift and realignment to reduce sharp horizontal curve
• Preserving an existing 24-foot road width
• Resurfacing with new gravel materials
• New culvert to current hydraulic and fish pass design standards

Our project staff are currently working on the preliminary design and the environmental review process. Construction on this project is expected to begin in either fall 2021 or early summer 2022.

This project is being developed in cooperation with the Alaska Division of the Federal Highway Administration and funded by a grant from the Western Federal Land Access Program (FLAP).