Built in the 1940s and 1950s, the Sterling Highway was originally constructed as a gravel road and not designed for the amount of traffic it sees today. In the late 1970s, the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) determined that it was necessary to redesign portions of the roadway. It had become increasingly congested, especially during summer months, creating safety issues for travelers. Several studies in the 1980s and 1990s looked at routes for the proposed highway. In 2000, DOT&PF and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) began the Sterling Highway Milepost (MP) 45-60 Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Environmental studies, engineering, and public involvement efforts were conducted from 2000 to 2018, resulting in final selection of the Juneau Creek Alternative. The current design work is based on the Juneau Creek Alternative as specifically described in the EIS.

The project will reconstruct the east and west ends of the existing roadway from approximately MP 45–46.5 and MP 56–58 to widen shoulders; bring the roadway curves into compliance with design speeds; and add passing lanes, pathways, and wildlife undercrossings. Additionally, the project will construct 10 miles of new roadway north of Cooper Landing and the Kenai River, between MP 46.5 and 55.5. Traffic studies predict that 70 percent of traffic will use the new highway rather than travel through Cooper Landing. A new Resurrection Pass trailhead and parking lot will be constructed, with trail connections to the Resurrection Pass and Bean Creek trails as well as the Juneau Creek Falls overlook. New intersections will be designed at the connection of the old and new highways. Construction will also include a new bridge spanning Juneau Creek Canyon. In terms of wildlife protection, the design features four wildlife crossing structures, including the first wildlife overpass of a highway in Alaska.

To learn more about the Project and receive engineering updates please visit the Project website at www.sterlinghighway.net

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