Parks Highway and Sheep Creek Extension Safety Improvements

We are working on a project to install a new traffic signal at the intersection of the Parks Highway and Sheep Creek Extension. The intersection will mostly operate the same way, but with a signal to protect left-turning traffic from Sheep Creek Extension onto the Parks Highway and from the Parks Highway onto Sheep Creek Extension.

The signal will always remain green for Parks Highway traffic coming from Ester heading to Fairbanks. The signal will require traffic coming from Fairbanks toward Ester to stop when the signal is red.

The separated path that crosses Sheep Creek Extension will also be upgraded to a signalized crosswalk. Medians or pavement markings may also be added to ensure vehicles stay in the appropriate lanes.

The purpose of this project is to improve safety. The history of crashes at this intersection along with reports from road users prompted us to nominate this intersection for safety improvements under the federally funded Highway Safety Improvement Program.

• There were nine angle crashes here between 2015 and 2019, three of which resulted in injuries. Angle crashes can be some of the most serious kinds of crashes, like when the front of one vehicle hits the side of another.
• We have received reports of left turning vehicles from Sheep Creek Road sliding into the free-flow through-lane of the fast moving Parks Highway traffic. This could cause a side swipe crash, could mean a vehicle ending up in the ditch, or could cause through-traffic vehicles to make risky maneuvers to avoid a crash.

This intersection was upgraded in 2007 to add turn lanes, medians, and the dedicated receiving lane for left-turning traffic from Sheep Creek Extension on the Parks Highway. In 2012, we changed the pavement markings and added signs to address safety concerns. This reduced side swipe crashes, but angle crashes continue to occur, so we needed to look at another solution.

We collected traffic volume data and found that the volume of traffic warrants constructing a traffic signal.

Another signal on the Parks Highway?

We know this will be a big change for vehicular traffic traveling straight through the intersection from Fairbanks toward Ester, but the safety improvements gained through this project will provide long-term safety benefits to all road users, including drivers, pedestrians, bicycles, roller skiers, and other path users.

We will be installing advanced warning lights on the Parks Highway to warn drivers that a red signal is ahead, just like at other signals on the Mitchell and Steese Expressways.

The right turns at this intersection will be largely unchanged from their current configurations.

What are the issues we’re trying to solve at this intersection?

• Unclear to new users: Currently there is no indication for left turning vehicles from Sheep Creek Road Extension to the Parks Highway to enter only into the left lane.
• Sight distance issue: This intersection is on a curve of the Parks Highway, making it difficult to judge safe gaps in traffic. Vehicles on Sheep Creek Road Extension and people on the paved path can also have their line of sight for Parks Highway through-traffic blocked by vehicles in the right turn lane of the Parks Highway.
• Slippery turn: The curve in the highway requires the road to be banked at a slight angle, making it more likely in winter conditions that vehicles entering the Parks Highway slide into the adjacent free-flowing lane or beyond it into the ditch.
• Crossing for non-motorized users: People using the multi-use path along Parks Highway have difficulty crossing the unsignalized intersection during peak hours when there is a lot of turning traffic. It can be difficult for drivers who are turning at this intersection to see people crossing, and it can be challenging for non-motorized users to anticipate vehicle movements.

Why not a roundabout?

Alaska DOT&PF has a Roundabouts First policy, meaning we need to consider a roundabout before other solutions like a signal. Here’s why we don’t think a roundabout is the right solution here:

• A roundabout would impact all directions of traffic at this intersection, unlike our proposed signal solution, which will not affect through-traffic heading toward Fairbanks from Ester.
• Sheep Creek Extension is part of a freight route, meaning the roundabout would need to accommodate oversized trucks. While it would be possible, it would mean a larger roundabout with a greater environmental impact.
• There are other signalized intersections on this route, so this solution is in line with other similar intersections in the area.

What’s next?

The project design began in September 2024. We will be reaching out to the community with more information about this project over the next two years. We are planning for construction in 2026.

We want to know what you think about this project! Please contact us to let us know your opinion, describe issues you have seen at this intersection, and give us ideas about how we could improve this signal project.

This project is being design under the Parks Highway / Sheep Creek Road Extension Traffic Signal (HSIP) Project number NFHWY00898/0A45(032)

Contact info: Ivet Hall, P.E., DOT&PF project manager
ivet.hall@alaska.gov or 907-451-5386