Federal Project No. #0001656 / State of Alaska Project No.# CFHWY00545

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is included in these two projects?

The Rehabilitation project includes:

• Resurfacing: To improve road conditions and extend the highway's lifespan, reducing wear and tear on vehicles.
• Pathway repairs: Ensuring pedestrian and cyclist safety along the corridor.
• Replacing damaged signs and lights: Enhancing visibility and guidance for drivers, contributing to safer travel.
• Replacing and/or upgrading guardrail: Improving safety by ensuring guardrails meet current standards to protect vehicles from roadside hazards.
• Some bridge work/repairs: Addressing structural issues to maintain bridge integrity and ensure they are safe for all vehicles.
• Repairing or replacing damaged or undersized culverts: Preventing water flow issues and road damage by ensuring culverts handle expected drainage capacity.
• Modifying some on-ramps for better acceleration and safer merging: Reducing collision risks by allowing vehicles to reach highway speeds before merging, thus enhancing overall traffic flow.

The Incident Management Traffic Accommodations project includes:

• Constructing median crossovers for traffic diversion: Enabling traffic to bypass closed sections due to incidents or construction, minimizing disruption and maintaining flow in both directions during emergencies.
2. What is NOT included in the project?
   • Reconstructing overpasses. These projects does not address the issue of potential bridge strikes by oversized loads, as it does not include raising or altering bridge heights.
   • Adding additional lanes. Expanding the highway to add more lanes is outside the scope of these projects.
3. What kind of impact will this construction have on traffic?
   • Significant impact on traffic flow: This construction will create noticeable delays and inconvenience, as lane closures will be necessary to complete these critical improvements.
   • Increased disruptions anticipated in the Stage 2 (Hiland to Mirror Lake) construction zone: The highest traffic impacts are expected within the Stage 2 work area, from Hiland Road to Mirror Lake, where extensive work, including large culvert repairs or replacements, will take place. This area is likely to experience intensive construction activity, impacting traffic flow and requiring detours as work progresses.
   • Ramp closures with clear detours: Ramp construction may require temporary closures. Detour routes will be clearly marked, and affected users will be notified in advance to help ease navigation around the work zones
4. What can be done to minimize the traffic impacts?
   • Frequent and early communication: DOT&PF will work closely with the contractor to keep the public informed well in advance and throughout construction. By notifying drivers early, we hope to reduce traffic volume in the construction area as more people plan alternate routes.
   • Time-of-day and week constraints: To minimize inconvenience, the contractor will work around high-traffic times whenever possible. DOT&PF will aim to limit lane closures during rush hours and encourage work during non-peak hours.
   • Innovative construction methods: DOT&PF is exploring methods to shorten lane closure durations, such as boring or jacking culvert pipes under the highway. While these approaches can increase costs, DOT&PF will weigh these expenses against the benefit of reducing disruption for drivers.
5. When will construction take place? How long will it take?

   With 33 miles of highway to improve, this project will span several years. To manage the workload and distribute funding, the project is divided into three stages:

   • Stage 1: Airport Heights to Hiland Road (planned from spring 2026 to fall 2027)
   • Stage 2: Hiland Road to Mirror Lake (planned from spring 2028 to fall 2029)
   • Stage 3: Mirror Lake to the Parks Highway interchange (planned from spring 2030 to fall 2031)

   These stage divisions and schedules are subject to change based on funding availability and final design decisions. For more detailed timing information, please refer to the full project schedule or go to https://dot.alaska.gov/creg/glenn/schedule.shtml.

6. How much will this cost?

   The estimated cost for all three stages of this project is approximately $170 million. While this is a significant investment, it covers extensive improvements across a 33-mile stretch of highway, with 2-3 lanes in each direction.

7. Who do we contact with our questions, concerns, ideas?