Kodiak: Otmeloi Way Rehabilitation
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF), in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Kodiak Island Borough (KIB), is proposing to rehabilitate Otmeloi Way from Monashka Bay Road to E. Rezanof Drive. Mallard Way, up to the elementary school, will also be improved. Anticipated improvements will include paving, new shoulders, sidewalk on the south/west side, curb and gutter on the south/west side, and new ditches and culverts. In addition, to improve sight distances, the curve near Peninsula Road will be re-aligned and driveways improved. Utility relocations and right-of-way acquisitions are anticipated to accommodate the improvements.
PROJECT MAP
Project Purpose
The purpose of the project is to improve the roadway driving surface, enhance pedestrian ADA access and mobility, improve drainage, and increase overall safety by upgrading the roadway and associated facilities to current design standards.
Project Need
The existing roadway consists of an unpaved gravel surface with poor ride quality, including washboarding and potholes that negatively affect vehicle operations and safety. The project is needed to provide a durable, all-weather driving surface through construction of full-depth asphalt pavement.
In addition, existing pedestrian facilities are limited or substandard. The project will improve pedestrian access by constructing sidewalks that meet minimum ADA-compliant design widths of 5 feet, along with associated curb ramps and accessible connections.
Intersection sight distances will also be improved to meet current roadway design standards, addressing existing safety deficiencies for motorists and pedestrians alike.
Background
DOT&PF currently owns and maintains Otmeloi Way. The state provided grant funding for road improvements in 2005 which started the planning and design process, but was not enough funding to reconstruct the road. The Kodiak Island Borough (KIB) successfully nominated this project through the Community Transportation Program (CTP), which allows DOT&PF to address community transportation needs with a combination of local, state, and federal funds. DOT&PF will complete the design, coordinate with utilities, acquire any necessary right-of-way, bid the project, and oversee construction. After completion of the project, KIB will assume ownership and maintenance responsibilities.
STATUS
The current design efforts began in the Summer/Fall of 2024. Survey was collected in the summer of 2024, and data for the traffic analysis and drainage study were collected in the fall of 2024. Other investigations and studies to support the environmental document are ongoing and the 30% design has been conducted. A project open house is scheduled for late January 2026.
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