(ANCHORAGE, Alaska) – The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities apologizes to the travelers who were impacted by construction on the Glenn Highway Sunday, June 29.

“The department holds itself to a higher standard of service than what was witnessed by numerous drivers on the Glenn Highway Sunday. Please accept the department’s sincerest apology. The delay that many of you experienced is unacceptable,” said ADOT&PF Commissioner Pat Kemp.   

Summer marks construction season across Alaska and delays will occur to ensure that workers can do their job in a safe and efficient manner.

The purpose of a well maintained transportation system is to provide access and opportunity for Alaskans to thrive. However, if at any time road work prevents Alaskans from traveling to their destination in a timely and efficient manner, then the department has failed to meet its purpose. The delay on the Glenn Highway this past Sunday represents a failure in the process that the department has developed so that it can keep Alaska moving.

“As a department we must not just promise to do better, we must deliver on that promise,” stated Commissioner Kemp. “I have personally instructed senior management to look into why this significant delay occurred and to begin implementing new strategies with our contractors to prevent similar incidents in the future.”

Sunday’s construction between Eagle River and Muldoon Road is part of the Glenn Highway Pavement Repairs project to construct comprehensive repairs to locations where asphalt is failing. The project contractor began work at 5 a.m. to minimize disruption to traffic. Shortly after noon, traffic increased heavily and was significantly delayed while the crews worked to complete the repairs as safely and efficiently as possible.

ADOT&PF has construction resources available to travelers. Several include estimated wait times, project activities, and hours and days of operation. Drivers may check for road conditions and construction updates by calling 511, or online at 511.Alaska.gov or AlaskaNavigator.org.

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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