Palmer busy with road construction

PALMER -- Palmer faces a number of road renovations this summer, including the re-paving of North Valley Way between East Arctic Avenue and West Eagle Street. City construction crews will replace some of the pipes in the city's water system laid under North Valley Way during the re-paving.

Other city paving projects include North Gulkana, between cross streets East Dolphin Avenue and West Eagle Street; West Eagle Street, between North Gulkana and North Valley Way; and South Chugach, between East Elmwood Avenue and East Fireweed Avenue. City of Palmer Community Development Coordinator Sara Jansen said the city plans on finishing renovations of these roads by the end of summer.

The city's early summer paving projects are already underway. Denali Street is scheduled to reopen this weekend, with a fresh batch of pavement replacing the longtime dirt roadway that ran in front of the Palmer Courthouse. The Amoose-ment Playground parking lot also underwent a first-time paving this past week, and is scheduled to open soon. Playground patrons have been using the Palmer Moose Lodge parking area while awaiting the new parking lot.

"When the park was built the Palmer Moose Lodge was very nice and let the people park in their lot," Jansen said. "The challenge will be to get people to park in the new parking lot."

The state also has road construction plans for the Palmer area. The Department of Transportation plans on opening a bid to pave East Evergreen Avenue, which runs from South Gulkana to the Palmer Airport, along with the section of Airport Road from the Old Glen Highway to East Evergreen Avenue this August. Tentative construction would start this week.