State seeks input into extensive Fairview Loop rehab project

WASILLA — Even before any pavement has been laid, the Fairview Loop Rehabilitation Project is an interesting proposition. Well, as interesting as road design work and capital project funding can get, anyway.

The project began as a plan to re-pave the 11-mile road from its connection with the Parks Highway to Knik-Goose Bay Road.

“I think it started out as just a kind of mill-and-pave back several years ago — pretty much just replacing the pavement. But as we got into it, the community really wanted a pathway to school. They asked the Legislature for more money to widen the road,” said project manager Eric Miyashiro with the state Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.

He said the state representative for the area, Bill Stoltze, R-Chugiak, was good at securing more funding for the project. The eventual budget settled on was $46 million, with $4.5 million of that in the form of an appropriation just for a pedestrian pathway.

“As the additional funds became available, we designed more features into the road,” Miyashiro said.

Then an estimate came back for what that rehabilitation would cost, and the price tag was pretty steep — $82 million.

“We’re scaling back to something a lot more modest,” Miyashiro said.

That’s where Tuesday’s meeting comes in. The open-house-style gathering is planned from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Jan. 14 at Snowshoe Elementary School, right along Fairview Loop.

“What we want to know is, given the budget realities we have here, what’s the best way to spend the money that’s available,” Miyashiro said.

There will be maps for people to look at and forms to fill out and provide feedback. Miyashiro said he also plans to bring estimates for different types of projects; how much it would cost to just repave the road versus, repaving and adding shoulders, or repaving and straightening, etc.

As for input, Miyashiro said the state wants to know what the community wants and where. So where, for instance, would be the best place to install four-foot shoulders? Which curves are problematic from an accident standpoint and could use realignment?

“We’re kind of stitching together a package that does the things that are most valuable for the folks in the community,” Miyashiro said.

As far as timelines go, Miyashiro said they will depend on what options the community says it wants. Options that require buying a lot of land will take at least two years to get started.

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