Alaska transportation officials want your input on the lineup of projects they hope to fund over the next four years. The draft Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, or STIP, describes $190 million in spending across eight projects around the Kenai Peninsula.
State transportation officials formally presented that program to state lawmakers during a committee meeting late last month.
The state published its draft STIP in mid-September and is accepting feedback through Oct. 29. Kenai Peninsula projects represent a small portion of the more than 200 projects planned statewide that carry an estimated price tag of $7.4 billion. That money would come from a mix of federal, state and local programs.
Projects planned for the central Kenai Peninsula include $8 million to improve drainage along Kalifornsky Beach Road and more than $5.6 million for the reconstruction of Redoubt Avenue and Smith Way in Soldotna.
The STIP also describes $2 million to reroute the Kenai Spur Highway around the footprint of the proposed Alaska LNG Project. The Alaska LNG Project would move North Slope natural gas to Southcentral. The scope includes a liquefaction and export facility in Nikiski, off the highway.
Nikiski Republican Sen. Jesse Bjorkman chairs the Senate Transportation Committee. During last month’s hearing, he told state officials he already knows his constituents have thoughts on that project.
“Folks who've been around for a while would clearly remember a large community meeting in which the last iteration of the AKLNG project held a meeting around what locals would refer to as a ‘spaghetti map’ of potential reroutes,” he said. “I think there were some preferred alternatives in that map, and myself as well as many community members would be happy to discuss those with you.”
The draft STIP also details almost $37 million to improve the intersection of the Sterling and Seward highways, near Cooper Landing. According to the draft plan, work would include reconstruction of the intersection, new signs, striping and drainage, among other things, with the goal of improving traffic safety.
More than half of the money planned for the Kenai Peninsula is expected to go to rebuilding the Sterling Highway between Anchor Point and Homer. The state has budgeted $119 million for that effort, which includes widening the highway, creating passing lanes, drainage improvements and scenic turnouts, among other things.
Once the public input period closes, state transportation officials will review feedback and submit a final program plan to the federal government, which gets the final say on whether the STIP is approved. The state hopes to have its plan approved by the end of the year.
An interactive version of the state’s STIP is available on the department’s website. Public comments can be submitted online, by voicemail, by text message and by mail.
