DOT shares latest progress on Parks Highway Alternative Corridor Project during open house

WASILLA — The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities hosted an open house for the Parks Highway Alternative Corridor Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study at the Wasilla Public Library Thursday, Dec. 8.

This was an opportunity for the public to learn about the PEL Study progress, preliminary corridor alternatives, and the alternative screening and evaluation process. Community members were able to attend the event in person or participate online.

DOT oversees the Parks Highway Alternative Corridor PEL Study with multiple advisory committees and DOWL as the consultant.

This project aims to reduce the overall congestion along the Parks Highway. Currently, drivers experience significant traffic delays during peak periods.

DOT Central Traffic and Safety Engineer, Scott Thomas said the sustained population growth in the Mat-Su Valley is the largest factor in the overall congestion challenge. He said the population is three times the size it was in the 1970s.

“It’s getting full. It’s all a four-lane road can carry,” Thomas said. “We can’t give them free flow… Everyone’s trying to do everything on one road and it’s just full… We have the beginning of gridlock and if we do nothing, we have gridlock.”

DOT shared the nine preliminary alternatives dyeing the open house. Project Manager, Kelly Summers said they will determine which alternative to move forward with once they finish consulting with different agencies and collect public input. She said over 100 people attended the open house, which was encouraging.

“We had a great turnout,” Summers said. “We got a lot of public feedback which going to be very helpful moving forward.”

This is the second of four open house meetings planned, according to Summers. She encourages the public to attend an open house or leave comments on the project website.

“We really need people’s input. It’s extremely important,” Summers said. “There’s a real need. We want to improve transportation for everybody.”

For more information, visit parkshighwayalternative.com.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com