Two of Juneau’s busiest traffic intersections will soon be repaved.
On Thursday, the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities opened an environmental comment period for a project that intends to repave Egan Drive between Mendenhall Loop Road and Riverside Drive.
The repaving is expected in 2018.
According to DOT statistics collected in 2015, more than 21,000 vehicles per day cross the intersection of Mendenhall Loop Road and Egan Drive each day. (The same vehicle can be counted more than once if it crosses the intersection more than once.)
The intersection of Riverside Drive and Egan Drive sees more than 14,000 vehicles per day.
The Loop intersection is the most dangerous in Juneau, according to DOT statistics. The department counted 55 crashes between 2009 and 2013 at the intersection.
Aurah Landau, a spokeswoman for DOT’s Southcoast region, said only about 1,350 feet of roadway will be repaved, and “it is not going to take that much time to complete,” she wrote by email. “Project designers are guessing paving could be done in one long day.”
According to a letter dated July 12 and sent to the City and Borough of Juneau, this section of road was not repaved when Brotherhood Bridge was replaced and Egan Drive resurfaced.
In addition to the repaving, DOT plans to make U-turns easier at the intersection of Egan Drive and Riverside. That will require moving a traffic signal.
DOT also plans to expand a concrete traffic median at Glacier Highway, south of Riverside Drive, to keep drivers from turning left onto Egan from Glacier Highway.
Anyone concerned about the environmental effects of the repaving project is being asked to call Chris Schelb at 465-4447 before Aug. 18, or email him at chris.schelb@alaska.gov.
• Contact reporter James Brooks at james.k.brooks@juneauempire.com or call 523-2258.
