Phase 1 Federal Project No. 0221(018) | Phase 2 Federal Project No. CFHWY00253 | Phase 2 Federal Project No. 0221(019)
Kenai Spur Highway Rehabilitation Project:
Sports Lake Road to Swires Road
Update March 27, 2026
DOT and its contractor QAP have an update to our 2026 Spring Start-up.
The week of March 30th, Surveyors will begin marking clearing limits and ROW staking.
Clearing crews will then begin clearing approximately 4 acres once they are finished clearing on the Sterling Highway nearby.
Starting April 27th all Utilities will begin work in the ROW; ACS, GCI, HEA and Enstar.
HEA's contractor will work about 8-10 weeks, starting from Eagle Rock and working south to Sports Lake. GCI will fall behind them and hang their lines on HEA's poles. They will work off the pathway Mon-Friday 12 hours a day with Flaggers at all times allowing pedestrians through.
ACS's contractor will begin at Sports Lake and work their way North to Eagle Rock and also continue on another project all the way to Main Street in Kenai replacing Enstar's gas lines. ACS will work out in the ROW Mon-Sat 12 hours a day. This will require flaggers at each intersection with the Kenai Spur to cross driveways and sidestreets, detours may also be needed at Ross St and Strawberry using Wortham Avenue as a detour route.
Enstar will also be performing work but later in mid May as they need the ground to thaw. Enstar will most likely work 5 or 6 days a week at 10 hour days.
In August, QAP can begin road work with utilities out of the way and will work on the 33' deep culvert south of Churchill and the rest of the road to Sports Lake if time allows. We will also plan to widen the road if time allows, but this section will not be paved and remain a two lane road through the winter, only excavated out and filled in to make it 5 lanes wide and that's from Churchill to Sports Lake.
Viking Electric will also be on site in May installing conduit for our 192 light poles that will mainly focus from Dolly Vardon to Eagle Rock and also installing 100 pile foundations for the light poles, the other 92 light poles will be installed once the widening is complete the next couple years.
In the Spring of 2027 the remainder of the road will be widened and paved its first layer of asphalt. In 2028 the final lift of asphalt will be paved and the road complete. In 2027 the existing asphalt will be removed and building up the road in the low spots and cutting down the high spots, these are significant cuts and fills, cutting down the hills about 14'.
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) plans to rehabilitate and improve the safety of the 5.7-mile segment of the Kenai Spur Highway located between Soldotna and Kenai, Alaska.
The Kenai Spur Highway serves as a critical link between the communities of Kenai and Soldotna. Situated between two five-lane segments, a 5.7-mile segment of the highway from Milepost (MP) 2.4 to 8.1 bottlenecks to two lanes. This part of the roadway has higher crash rates than the statewide average, and also has the second-highest rate of moose collisions in Alaska, so safety improvements are needed. The project is a priority for both the Kenai Peninsula Borough and the State of Alaska. The project is funded with a combination of state and federal funding.
For this rehabilitation project, the five-lane highway design includes two 12-foot through-lanes in each direction and a continuous 14-foot, Two-Way Left-Turn Lane (TWLTL). These project improvements will match the section of Kenai Spur Highway from S. Forest Drive to Swires Road and carry the design through Sports Lake Road. The additional through-lanes will provide safe passing opportunities, reduce traffic platooning, and ease associated driver frustration. The continuous TWLTL will remove vehicles waiting for left-turn opportunities from through-lanes, lowering the risk of rear-end collisions. Continuous lighting will be installed between Delta Avenue and Dolly Varden Street to complete continuous lighting between Kenai and Soldotna.
Phase 1 – Eagle Rock Drive to Swires Road
Phase 1 was completed in summer 2020.
Phase 2 – Sports Lake Road to Eagle Rock Drive
In July and August 2020, a contractor cleared all trees, shrubs, and brush within the highway right-of-way (ROW) and certain utility easements along the road.
Phase 2 was advertised for competitive construction bids in July 2025. Construction is currently scheduled for completion by June 2028.
Use DOT&PF's Alaska Project Exchange tools to learn more about all of DOT&PF's active construction projects statewide!