HSIP: Pittman Road Shoulder Widening & Slope Flattening
Zehnder Road to Church Road
Project Scope
This project is being developed and funded through the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). The HSIP specifically targets reducing fatalities and severe injury crashes on Alaska's roadways. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF), in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), is proposing to widen Pittman Road between Zehnder Road and Church Road.
Project Goals
The purpose of this project is to improve safety, extend the service life, and reduce maintenance costs of Pittman Road.
Goals of this project include:
- Widen road shoulders to 4 feet
- Flatten foreslopes
- Install safety edges along Pittman Road
Improvements May Include:
- Pavement resurfacing
- Drainage improvements
- Intersection improvements
- Roadside hardware improvements (guardrail, signs, etc.)
- Striping
- Structural dig-outs
- Utility relocations, as needed
- Vegetation clearing and grubbing
- Fish passage improvements at Cloudy Creek and Little Meadow Creek
- Horizontal curve flattening (increase curve radii)
Status and Schedule
Design is 75% complete. Right of Way (ROW) mapping is in progress and will be submitted to the Mat-Su Borough for their approval before ROW acquisitions can begin. The project team is continuing to gather public input.
Construction is anticipated to start in 2027, but is dependent on available funding, ROW negotiations, and utility relocation agreements.
Project FAQs
What is HSIP?
Alaska's Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) is a federally-mandated program managed by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF). Its purpose is to reduce fatalities and serious injuries due to crashes on Alaskan roads. HSIP projects concentrate on resolving an identified safety issue, and design improvements are intended to reduce crashes.
How does this project improve safety?
Widened shoulders provide more recovery space for errant vehicles to regain control on the roadway. Pavement safety edges eliminate vertical drop-offs along the roadway, allowing drivers who drift off the travelway to return to the road safely with more control. If a vehicle leaves the roadway, flattened foreslopes lower the chance of a rollover.
Can a pathway be added?
The project is focused on improvements necessary to address run-off-the-road (ROTR) crashes and therefore doesn't include a pathway. The widened shoulder will provide space for pedestrians to use outside the traveled way. A pathway could be included in a future reconstruction project.
Will DOT&PF be acquiring right-of-way (ROW) for this project?
ROW acquisitions are necessary in select locations to improve the safety of the corridor. A ROW Agent will be in contact with affected property owners to review the appraisal and the acquisition process.
The ROW Brochure can be downloaded at https://dot.alaska.gov/stwddes/dcsrow/assets/pdf/ROW_UniformAct1.pdf 
Will I be able to use Pittman Road during construction?
Temporary construction impacts aren't known, yet. If needed, lane closures and detours will be limited, and construction planned to maintain access.
Public Meetings & Materials
Project Documents
Contact Us
Send us your comments, questions or concerns:
- Kristina Busch, PE
- DOT&PF Highway Design
- (907) 269-0567
- Kristina.Busch@alaska.gov
- Joann Mitchell, PE
- Kinney Engineering, LLC
- (907) 344-7590
- JoannMitchell@KinneyEng.com
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