Kinney Engineer staff will be on site this weekend (December 19-20) and one day next week counting turning movements at the Alyeska & Seward Hwy intersection. This coincides with winter break for ASD and the commencement of skiing at Alyeska, providing a better understanding of turning movements during peak times.
Please be alert to their presence and drive safely.
If you have any questions, please contact a member of the project team.
The purpose of this project is to improve the safety, operation, and capacity of this intersection. At this early stage in the project’s development, the Department is seeking input on what values should drive the alternative selection process, what alternatives should be considered, what experiences you have had with this intersection, or any other input you may have.
View the Seward Hwy & Alyeska Hwy Open House 1 Presentation and Graphics here!
The Open House Summary is now available for your review here and on the Public Involvement Page.
To provide comments, ask questions and be part of the conversation as we move towards alternative development, contact a member of the project team!
Thank you for joining us!
WHEN: Thursday, December 10th from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
WHERE: Virtually via Zoom – three ways to join!
Field crews will be active in the project area this fall conducting wetland delineations, survey work, and collecting traffic data. R&M survey crews will be on site in October collecting topographic data. This work will inform the development of alternatives and the environmental document.
Please be alert to their presence and drive safely.
If you have any questions, please contact a member of the project team.
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) is starting the Seward Hwy & Alyeska Hwy Intersection Improvement project which seeks to improve the capacity, operation and safety of the intersection. Click on the map or linked text to see the Seward Hwy & Alyeska Hwy Intersection Improvements Project Overview Map.
Click on the Project Overview Map to enlarge
The Alyeska Hwy intersection at MP 90 of the Seward Hwy is an important node along the 125-mile scenic byway and falls within the Safety Corridor. It is the gateway into Girdwood, and offers the only major stop for fuel and groceries between Anchorage and Seward. The current intersection is an at-grade tee configuration with left and right turn lanes on the Seward Hwy and a free right for Anchorage-bound traffic coming from Alyeska Hwy. Seward Hwy traffic is characterized by extreme seasonal peaks, with July volumes almost six times that of January volumes. That reduces the number of available gaps for turning vehicles, leading to increased delay. This is exacerbated by the many access points around the Tesoro Station Mall and associated turning movements.
While the intersection itself does not experience a higher-than-expected crash rate when compared to similar intersections throughout the state, many of the crashes that have occurred involve left-turning vehicles. These crashes have the potential to be high-severity and involve the movements that experience the most delay. Alternatives that reduce the delay for left turns are likely to also improve safety for these movements.
Scope:
DOT&PF has funded the project for engineering, environmental and public involvement activities through the selection of an alternative and development of the design to the 30% level, including compliance with the Municipality of Anchorage’s Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) Policy and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
Status:
Conceptual Design Alternatives were developed and have been under public and agency review. A recommended concept alternative has been identified by the Project Team and they are gathering feedback from the public and project stakeholders beginning late June 2022 to see if it will be preferred by the community.
