The Haines Highway. (Abbey Collins)
The Alaska Department of Transportation’s Haines Highway improvement project is ramping up. That’s just one of several DOT plans in the works right now. Southcoast Regional Director Lance Mearing stopped by KHNS to talk about the developments.
The highway project aims at making the road safer and more efficient.
“There will be some realignment of curves, to flatten curves,” says Mearing. “We’ll be improving drainage and site distance. I think what people will notice the most is the widened shoulders and a little more room to do things other than drive.”
It’s currently in the first phase of construction.
“That’s a $36 million project from 3-12 mile. We’ll have follow-on projects. Another two phases,” says Mearing.
Another ongoing construction project in Haines is at the airport.
DOT is expanding the apron — the area where airplanes park — and repairing the access road into the facility.
“There’s areas along the apron that people can rent from the department to do aviation-related things,” says Mearing. “Hopefully build a hangar, store an airplane and fly around a lot.”
Marine highway projects are also in the works for Haines and Skagway.
In Haines, DOT is designing a new end berth for the ferry terminal.
“And that is designed for the new Alaska Class Ferries,” says Mearing. “The Tazlina and the Hubbard. The Tazlina is supposed to be done sometime this summer I believe. But it wont go into use until the Spring of 2019.”
“For Skagway, we currently have programmed and designed about a $6 million rehab of the existing ferry terminal,” says Mearing. “Our commissioner and AMHS are involved in discussions with the city of Skagway about an Alaska Class capable terminal for Skagway.”
DOT’s plans have been a point of contention in Skagway, where the city would like to see dock replacement, rather than refurbishment.
A few other transportation projects are in the works for Skagway.
“We have a project in its second season of construction, the replacement of the William Henry Moore Bridge up on the Klondike Highway,” says Mearing. “A short bridge over a really steep gorge.”
And, road rehabilitation, including resurfacing and storm drain improvements.
“We have a project on State Street in Skagway that was tentatively scheduled for this year,” says Mearing. “But it’s going to be a next year project.”
You can link to the Alaska Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, describing projects and their costs, here.
