Knik-Goose Bay (KGB) Road was designated by the State of Alaska as a Traffic Safety Corridor in 2009 due to fatalities and major accidents occurring on the road. KGB Road has a fatal accident rate that is nearly four times the national average. Designation allowed a multiple agency approach to reduce these crashes, bringing enforcement, engineering, emergency services and education to improve the safety of the highway.
Since the roadway designation as a Highway Safety Corridor in 2009, the department has invested about $9 million in safety features, including signing, striping, and signals. These features have achieved reductions in crashes. However, because KGB Road is one of the busiest in the state, significant upgrades are needed. DOT&PF is developing two major reconstruction projects, $125 million worth of safety and congestion improvements. Please click on the links below for more project specific information.
In response to requests from residents, businesses, and legislators for interim safety repairs while the longer term project moves forward, DOT&PF recently completed a seven-mile, $2 million repaving project on KGB Road from Fern Street to Settlers Bay Drive. Contractors worked nights to place asphalt overlay in ruts, cracks, and potholes in order to restore the pavement to a smooth, predictable, and safe driving surface. These repairs will restore the roadway to acceptable driving conditions until the Department can start Phase 1 of the KGB Road Reconstruction Project from Centaur Avenue to Fairview Loop. Construction of Phase 1 is anticipated to begin in mid-summer 2022.
Read more about the pavement repair completed in summer 2020.
Wear your seat belt. According to the CDC, over 23,000 drivers and passengers were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2016. More than half of the teens and adults who died were not buckled up at the time of the crash.
Eliminate distractions. Visual, manual or cognitive; taking your eyes off the road, your hands off the wheel or your mind off of driving takes you away from your primary responsibility—driving. Texting combines all three of these types of distractions. And remember, taking your attention away from driving for only five seconds at 55 mph is enough time for you to travel the length of a football field (CDC).
Drive Sober. Each and every time. About one in three traffic deaths in the United States involve a drunk driver (CDC).
REDDI—Report Every Dangerous Driver Immediately. Reckless, aggressive, drunk, drugged, and fatigued driving are dangerous behaviors and can threaten the lives of drivers, passengers, pedestrians and bikers. CALL 911 when you believe there is a risk of death or injury due to dangerous driver behavior. Please stop at a safe place or have a passenger make the call, and report the vehicle description and location. State and local law enforcement agencies will respond as quickly as possible.
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Website landing page for both projects: www.knikgoosebay.com |