Welcome to the Sterling Highway MP-45-60 Online Open House
The project is planned to reduce highway congestion, meet current design standards, and improve highway safety.
Construction on the current highway at MP 56-58 will continue through the fall. Design continues on the middle and east ends of the project.
For more information, visit sterlinghighway.net or email the project team at [email protected].
Navigating this site:
This site is best viewed on your desktop or laptop computer at 100% view. You may scroll down at your leisure to view each station, use the dot navigation on the right side of your screen or use the top navigation to skip to different stations.
View the full presentation and video:
Let’s get started!
Station 1 - Project Overview Map
Welcome to the Sterling 45-60 Fall 2021 Online Open House Project Overview Map. Hover over the red magnifying circles to see project features.
West End (Phase 1A)
Slaughter Gulch Trail Construction
East End (Phase 1B) Under Design
Intersection of Old and New Sterling Highway
Resurrection Pass Trail Updates
Juneau Creek Bridge – Under Design
New Alignment Map
Map Gallery
West End (Phase 1A)
West End (Phase 1A)
Old and New Sterling Intersection Map
Old and New Sterling Intersection Map
East End (1B) – MP 45-47
East End (1B) – MP 45-47
Off Alignment Phase 3-6
Off Alignment Phase 3-6
Juneau Creek Bridge Under Design
Slaughter Gulch Trail Construction
Resurrection Pass Trail Construction Map
Resurrection Pass Parking Area
Station 2 - Design Updates
Choose the left and right arrows to navigate this section.
1. West End (1A) (MP 56-58)
2. Off Alignment (3-6)
3. East End (1B) (MP 45-47)
4. Juneau Creek Bridge
(Phase 2)
The West end of the project, also called Phase 1A, is located between milepost (MP) 56 and 58.
This section of road has been under construction this summer. One wildlife crossing will be finished this year, and the road should be back to normal for the winter.
Construction of this phase is scheduled to complete in 2022.
Recreation access is being maintained on all trails throughout construction.
When completed, the road will feature twelve-foot lanes and eight-foot shoulders. Significant features of this phase include wildlife crossings and rock cuts. Mesh retaining walls will blend in with the roadside rock for a natural look.
Mesh retaining walls will blend in with the roadside rock for a natural look.
Bolt Layout
West End (Phase 1A)
Monitoring for Cultural Resources
Retaining Wall
Sterling 1A Construction
1. West End (1A) (MP 56-58)
2. Off Alignment (3-6)
3. East End (1B) (MP 45-47)
4. Juneau Creek Bridge
(Phase 2)
This segment of the project stretches from MP 47 to MP 56 and will build a new section of highway to pull the road away from the Kenai River and to cross Juneau Creek in the best location.
Construction is occurring this season to create access to the bridge.
Highway design is approaching 70% design.
Features include wildlife crossings and climbing lanes which allow for faster vehicles to pass slower ones on the uphill sections of road.
Design continues on the intersection of the new and old Sterling Highways at the west end. The intersection will function like the Girdwood intersection.
PATHWAYS
A pathway along the south side of the new highway has been approved and design is progressing. The pathway was requested by the community. Benefits including creating pedestrian connections to other trails and allowing construction to use excess material on-site instead of hauling it away.
RECREATION
Resurrection Pass Trail
- The trailhead will have new parking and a dedicated left turn lane.
- A new trail will connect from the parking lot to the Resurrection Pass trail. An equestrian access trail is included.
- The parking lot will accommodate the access road and include snow storage areas.
- An overlook will be built where the Resurrection Pass trail and the new trail connect.
- The Resurrection Pass trail will receive minor reconstruction.
Bean Creek Trail
- A new pullout will be built to access the Bean Creek Trail.
- The trail will receive minor reconstruction.
Slaughter Gulch Trail and Creek Crossing
- Hikers will be able to access the Slaughter Gulch trail through a highway undercrossing structure.
- The creek will use the same structure to cross the highway.
1. West End (1A) (MP 56-58)
2. Off Alignment (3-6)
3. East End (1B) (MP 45-47)
4. Juneau Creek Bridge
The East end of the project reconstructs the highway alignment between MP 45 and 47. This section is also called Phase 1B.
Extensive rock excavation is needed to move the highway further north away from Kenai Lake and to straighten out the curves.
Just over 1 million cubic yards material will be excavated and placed along other sections of the project. This volume is similar to excavations at the Bird Creek parking lot on the Seward Highway.
Design is finalized for the intersection at the west end of this phase at MP 47. This provides a new connection between Sterling Highway and the current (Old Sterling Highway) as the primary access into Cooper Landing. The intersection will feature:
- A westbound left turn lane from Sterling Highway onto the new connection to Old Sterling;
- An eastbound right turn lane from Sterling Highway to the new connection to Old Sterling;
- An eastbound ramp (to Anchorage) from the new connection that merges on to the Sterling Highway; and
- A westbound, stop controlled, left turn (to Soldotna) from the new connection to the Sterling Highway.
Design for the Quartz Creek Road intersection at MP 44.5 will be available to view in fall 2021.
The pedestrian tube undercrossing trail design is unchanged. It connects the separated pathway on the south side of the highway with the Coyote Notch Trail on the north side.
Other design work includes looking at striping and other ways to increase safety for turning vehicles to access Russian Gap and accounting for development on the Kenai Peninsula Borough Tract C.
Utility design is 80% complete. Right-of-way acquisition is underway and is slated for completion in August 2021.
Construction timing on this phase is tied to Phase 3. Construction will likely bid in 2022 and start in 2023.
1. West End (1A)
2. Off Alignment (3-6)
3. East End (1B) (MP 45-47)
4. Juneau Creek Bridge
(Phase 2)
A steel arch design was selected for the bridge over the Juneau Creek.
Foundations will be constructed a bit lower than originally anticipated, which will lower the bridge itself, reducing visual and noise impacts.
The bridge features a wildlife crossing separated from traffic.
Due to the length of the bridge and the type of rock at the abutments, a massive geotechnical effort will continue into 2022 to gather data for foundation design.
DOT&PF will conduct a Value Engineering Study for the bridge this winter to fine tune bridge design for a variety of considerations including aesthetics, constructability, and trail connections.
The bridge is estimated to take three years to build, including steel procurement. The bridge is a critical scheduling factor for the entire project.
Choose the dots to skip through the sections.
Station 3 - Schedule & Project Next Steps
As design and construction continue, the project has seen a robust field season.
- Geotechnical investigations are continuing at the bridge site
- Extensive cultural resources research and monitoring have occurred throughout the project.
- Site monitoring found cultural artifacts on June 7, 2021 (inadvertent discovery).
- Water quality testing is continuing upon request.
SCHEDULE
The project has separated the western intersection of the new Sterling Highway and the existing Sterling Highway (MP 55 to 56) into its own phase – and it will now be Phase 5. This was previously a part of Phase 4.
Design and construction of the western intersection are contingent on the land exchange between Cook Inlet Region, Inc. (CIRI) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), which is tentatively scheduled to happen this winter. Once the land exchange is complete, design of the intersection will begin.
Project completion will likely occur in 2027.
RIGHT-OF-WAY
Coordination with property owners is well underway. Property appraisals are continuing on Phase 1B. The project is coordinating with Kenai Peninsula Borough & U.S. Forest Service to gain access to alignment on existing roadways. Phases 3-5 will not impact private property owners.
Station 4 - Watershed Connectivity
Hydrological mapping is complete. Wetlands are maintained, and culverts, ditches, and wildlife passages will provide watershed connectivity throughout the project area.
Station 5 - Construction
Construction will continue on the main highway at MP56-58 through the fall.
Know Before You Go
DOT&PF will notify the public about upcoming construction.
Project and road condition information
- AlaskaNavigator.org – construction status. Search for the Sterling Highway MP 45-60 project.
- 511.Alaska.Gov – road conditions – select “My 511” to create an account and sign up for alerts to your phone or email
- Sterlinghighway.net – project updates
Sign up now to receive alerts about changes to traffic patterns so you can plan your travel.
Station 6 - Public Meeting Video
Station 7 - Contact Us & Mailing List Sign-up
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Email Us
Visit the Project Website
Give us a call
Construction questions?
Shaun Combs, DOT&PF
907-351-0501
Project questions?
Katherine Wood
907-644-2153
Supporting Documents
The documents below support the information displayed throughout this online public meeting. You will need a PDF reader to view these documents. Download a free version at Adobe’s website.