PALMER, Alaska (KTUU) – The end of the summer months also marks the end of construction of primary season for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF). While a pair of ongoing projects are being prepared to bed down for the winter months, the department is also doing some prep work on projects anticipated to start next year in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.
Glenn Highway MP 34-42 Reconstruction
One major project impacting Palmer commuters is expected to wrap up toward the end of October. The project is in an effort to widen a section of the Glenn Highway from the Glenn/Parks Interchange to Outer Springer Loop, from a two-lane to a four-lane divided highway. This started in the fall of 2023.
According to DOT&PF’s administrative operations manager, Justin Shelby, that project is still on track to be completed by the end of summer 2025. While new lanes have been built and paved, Shelby said the highway will remain a two-lane one over the winter months.
“They’re working right now on trying to get things, you know, more settled before the winter,” Shelby said.
Traffic is currently being rerouted with large construction cones guiding commuters between temporary lane changes.
“For the winter months, they’re going to be on that new portion [of road], but there probably are sections that they’re still trying to do some work on [this year],” Shelby said.
The department said the project was developed to help accommodate increased traffic and reduce the number of head-on collisions and crashes related to left turns along the section. Other work includes adding a traffic light to the Colleen Street intersection, widening the shoulder, and adding frontage roads to accommodate restricted left turn access at some points due to the construction of a median.
Knik-Goose Bay Road
Phase one of another large project along Knik-Goose Bay Road is nearing completion, with workers bringing permanent traffic signals online last week and traffic already running on the new alignment.
According to Shelby, crews are still out there doing some paving, stabilization work, and finishing up signage and lighting in the section that runs from Centaur Avenue to Fairview Loop. It was expected that residents would get a break from construction in the summer of 2025, with Phase Two originally scheduled to begin work in 2026, but Shelby said the timeline of that phase could be moved up.
“I don’t have an update at this time, but there might be some update to that,” Shelby said. “We’re working on potentially getting an early work package out, but no official word on if that’s going to be able to happen.”
DOT&PF wants commuters to be aware of the dedicated right-turn-only lane that was constructed on KGB to turn on to the Palmer-Wasilla Highway. A pedestrian sidewalk crosswalk has been installed for crossing the dedicated turn lane. Pedestrians can press a button to activate a red signal that informs drivers they must stop to allow for crossing.
Glenn Highway Bridge Deck Preservation
Commuters have probably noticed that prep work has begun on the north- and southbound bridges over the Knik River. Overhaul work on the bridges is expected to start next summer, but DOT&PF is utilizing this time to construct temporary roads that cross over the grassy median on both the north and southbound sides of the bridge.
The crossovers will be used when the overhaul work begins, as each bridge will have to be shut down for 30 days each while work is being completed. Once one bridge shuts down, the other will be used for both north and southbound traffic. During that time, the bridges will be turned into temporary three-lane bridges divided by concrete medians. The medians will be adjusted daily during peak commuting times.
To adjust the medians, DOT&PF will need to acquire a “zipper machine”, capable of moving the concrete barriers at a rate of 15 mph.
“It can get that traffic transitioned over relatively quickly – under half an hour,” Shelby said. “So that, in between the rush hour periods, we can transition from two-lanes southbound to two-lanes northbound.”
Seward Meridian Parkway Road Improvements
With the first phase of this project completed in 2012, DOT began work on the second phase this summer. The project is upgrading the road to enhance safety for drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists – as well as accommodate higher traffic volumes in the area.
Seward Meridian will be extended to connect to Seldon Road and will include the addition of several traffic signals and turn lanes. DOT&PF will also construct a bridge over Cottonwood Creek and add additional parking.
Shelby said crews are wrapping up utility work and will potentially do some work at Cottonwood Creek before the season is over, but that next year is when residents will begin to see substantial construction and impacts.
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