Residents have been clamoring for more than 15 years for the Old Glenn Highway to be upgraded, and it looked like the long-awaited project would become a reality up until Feb. 22. But the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities struggled to balance its budget for capital projects and cut it from the list of work slated to begin this summer.
That is until Friday, when the project was added to the list, and DOT officials began working on making the final arrangement to put the first phase out for bid.
DOT transportation planner David Post announced the change in plans at the Legislative Town Hall Meeting Saturday at the Chugiak Senior Center, much to the satisfaction of the local legislative delegates and those attending.
“This is great news,” said Sen. Fred Dyson. “People living along the road have wanted this to happen for years. And after hearing the project was being postponed earlier, the news the project will be going out to bid will be very well received.”
Post said the the ball is rolling forward with the inclusion of the Old Glenn Highway on the list of 2008 projects.
“We're preparing all the data necessary to put the project out to bid next month and preparing letters to property owners along the road to notify them of the pending construction,” Post said.
Phase 1 of the project will limit construction to areas between the North Eagle River Access Road to South Birchwood Loop Road.
According to DOT design engineer Jim Amundson, the Old Glenn Highway will be widened from 24 feet to 32 feet, and 4-foot-wide shoulders will be added to the sides of the road. There will also be a pedestrian path added along the highway.
Phase 1 work will also include several utility upgrades, including the installation of new water and sewer lines and the construction of a new pipe for ENSTAR Natural Gas Company.
The remainder of the highway will be updated in future projects, which will eventually widen the Old Glenn all the way to Ski Road in Peters Creek.
According to Post, with the project back on track, a community open house is planned for April 10 at Fire Lake Elementary School from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. to discuss the road upgrade and the Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility South Birchwood Loop Road sewer and Anchorage School District on-site sewer improvements.
Reach the reporter at darrell.breese@alaskastar.com.
