Planners discuss KGB upgrades

WASILLA — A pair of projects slated to move into the design phase very soon and move into construction in 2017 will upgrade Knik-Goose Bay Road to four lanes all the way to Settlers Bay Drive.

Officials in charge of the projects shared a sneak peek of their plans with the Valley during a meeting at the Wasilla Area Senior Center Wednesday.

“The best model for predicting traffic growth on Knik-Goose Bay has traffic more than doubling during the life of the project,” said Gerry Welsh, a project manager with the state’s Department of Transportation who is managing the project, which will improve KGB from Centaur Avenue to Vine Road.

The phrase “life of the project” is used here to describe the project’s useful life; how long before traffic on the roadway another requires another upgrade.

In 2010, traffic was measured at between 5,500 and 18,200 cars per day. In 2039, projected traffic counts range from 23,500 to 52,500 cars.

This project is federally funded. The other leg of the project, from Vine to Settlers Bay Drive, is state-funded.

Welsh said the upgrades are aimed at safety and easing congestion. At a previous meeting discussing the upgrades, the department hadn’t yet settled on a plan. At the Wednesday meeting, Welsh said the department had decided on a four-lane divided highway without the series of roundabouts that the city of Wasilla had suggested.

An hour into the open house he said the concerns residents had raised thus far focused on safety.

“We’ve had this project out in front of the public for quite a while now,” he said. “We do hear concerns about access.”

And, although the plan does not include eliminating anyone’s access to the road, access is an issue. The project calls for elimination of left turns out of businesses accessing the road.

Instead, motorists will have to turn right and make a u-turn farther on, which Welsh said is a safer alternative to direct left turns.

Because part of Welsh’s project is within the city limits of Wasilla, he’s also heard concerns from the city. One of those is about the size of the road.

Though the road is planned to be four lanes with a center divider, Welsh said the department is considering bumping that up to six lanes between Fairview Loop and Wasilla. This is the part of the plan that drew city comment.

“The city has asked that we contain this to a four-lane divided highway in the hopes they are able to build a series of alternative routes,” Welsh said.

The idea is that a planned pair of one-way streets and other upgrades to downtown roads would also pull traffic off of Knik-Goose Bay.

Contact Andrew Wellner at 352-2270 or andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com.