The List of Current and Future Construction on Alaska’s Roads

Jump to:
Alaska’s construction season is here
The list of current road construction in Alaska
The list of future road constriction in Alaska
Ways to avoid getting stuck in construction traffic
Conclusion
 

Alaska’s construction season is here

There is no “official” construction season in Alaska, but all construction goes on from the late spring into then end of the summer/fall. This is because the weather is much better and more conducive to getting the construction work done during these months versus during the colder months when a snowstorm could easily delay work for several weeks at a time.

This year, Alaska’s Department of Transportation and Public Facilities has over forty projects planned for its norther region. The overall purpose of these projects according to the Alaska DOT and PF website is to: improve safety, preserve roads, bridges and tunnels that are already in use, and to reduce overall costs of operations. The two major projects this season will be the work being done on Badger Road and Mitchell Expressway (most of the work in phase two on Mitchell Expressway has concluded).
 

The list of current road construction in Alaska

The following are the current road construction projects going on at the time this post was published – July 1st, 2019. For a list of future projects scheduled to start sometime soon you can click here.

• Sterling Highway and Main Street Intersection – There is paving, and grading work being done here that will last through November.
• Sterling Highway: Mile Posts 97 through 118 – There is work being done to widen the shoulder and create a fish passage culvert at Crooked Creek. The work will continue through October.
• Beaver Loop Road – Construction crews are re-surfacing the road as well as creating a new pedestrian path. Construction will continue through the end of October.
• Kenai Spur Highway – New lanes are being built by construction crews. This will include a new temporary traffic pattern and moderate delays. Construction is expected to last at least several months.
• Sterling Highway: Skilak Lake Road to Milepost 78 – Construction crews are upgrading lanes and a pedestrian path. They are also adding a bridge. Expect long delays. Construction is expected to last for several months.
• Snug Harbor Road – Construction crews are performing ditching operations from mile 3 to 4. Expect short delays of a few minutes. Construction will be over by early July.
• Seward Highway: Milepost 75 to 90 – Night work will occur on this road until September 2. Construction crews will be working on drainage, lane realignments, pedestrian paths and facilities and more. You can expect light to moderate delays.
• Rabbit Creek Road – Crews will be working on repaving the road through July. Traffic will be down to a single lane at points so expect moderate delays.
• Abbott Road – Construction crews will be adding lanes and making sight improvements for the road. This work will last through the end of July. You should expect some moderate delays.
• C Street – Lanes will be closed causing some longer delays so that construction crews can work on the preservation of C street.
• Jewel Lake Road – Crews will be working to widen a portion of Jewel Lake Road through the fall. There will be some detours including possible lane closures. You can expect some moderate delays.
• Glenn Highway – Constructions crews will be adding a lane to Glenn Highway now through the fall. You can expect some lane closures and moderate delays.
• Palmer off-ramp: Glenn Highway – You can expect for the Palmer off-ramp on Glenn Highway to be closed for a week during July. Construction crews are working to improve various aspects of the road. Expect short delays and taking a detour.
• Edlund Road – Through the middle of July, portion of the road will be closed while crews install a fish passage culvert. Expect mild delays and a detour.
• Parks Highway: Mile Post 83 to 99 – Construction crews are working on adding passing lanes and improving pedestrian areas. This work will last through September. You can expect some light delays.
• Badger Road: Automatic Vehicle Classifier station – Construction crews will be working on the lanes near the station at Badger Road. You can expect short delays and some single lane closures. This work should continue into the fall.
• Richardson Highway: Mile Post 30 to 33 – Guardrail and paving work will be taking place here from late June through the fall. Expect moderate delays.
• Tok Cutoff: Mile Post 38 to 50 – Construction crews will be working on the bridge in this area as well as on drainage and overall road conditions. Light delays are expected until the project is expected to be completed in October.
• Alaska Highway: Mile Post 1309 – Crews will be replacing the current Tok River Bridge. This project will run through October. Expect moderate delays as well as a detour.
• Badger Road: Fairbanks – Construction personnel will be adding a two-way left turning lane in an effort to decrease accidents in this area. Expect traffic patterns to change as well as some light delays in the area.
• Chena Hot Springs Road: Mile Post 20 – The bridge here is being replaced by constructions crews. The work is expected to last until October. Drivers should expect detours and moderate delays in the area.
• Richardson Highway: Mile Post 353 to 357 – Work here will include intersection improvements, drainage improvements and other highway modifications. Very few, if any, delays are expected. Work will continue into the fall.
• Gillam Way – Construction on Gillam Way will include multiple road improvements including drainage, intersection improvements, and sidewalks. The work is expected to run through October. Drivers should be prepared for moderate delays.
• Old Airport Way – Resurfacing of this road is currently in progress and will continue through October. Moderate delays are expected in the area.
• University Avenue: Side Streets – Construction crews will be re-doing the side streets that run along University Avenue. Moderate delays are expected. The work should finish in September.
• Farmers Loop Road – Construction crews will be resurfacing Farmers Loop Road until sometime in the late summer. Light delays are expected to occur.
• Gold Mine Trail Road – Construction on Gold Mine Trail Road is expected to include adding an intersection as well as various other road improvements including the installation of new pavement in several areas. The project is expected to run until August 2019.
• Elliot Highway: Mile Posts 0 to 12 – Through October, construction crews will be working on Elliot Highway in an effort to improve the road in various ways that include lighting upgrades and shoulder improvements.

The list of future road construction in Alaska

This is the list of any upcoming road construction projects that will get underway during this construction season.

• Cooper River Highway – From July 22nd 2019 until July 24th 2019, there will be moderate delays as construction will occur. Be on the lookout for construction workers as well as for heavy equipment on the road.
• Alaska Highway: Mile Post 1347 – From July 11th 2019 to July 14th 2019 there will be construction occurring on Alaska Highway near Mile Post 1347.
• Alaska Highway: Mile Post 1380 – There will be construction going on in this area on July 13th until July 17th 2019. Moderate delays are expected in the area. There will be heavy equipment and construction workers on or near the road.
• Alaska Highway: Mile Post 1393 – Bridge inspections and some construction will be occurring in this area from July 16th through July 20th. Expect light delays in the area.
• Richardson Highway: Mile Post 275 – On July 9th through July 11th 2019, there will be construction and bridge inspections on this stretch of the Richardson Highway. Some light delays might occur.
• Chena Hot Springs Road: Milepost 49 – On August 14th 2019, there will be bridge inspections and light construction on this area of Chena Hot Springs Road. Light delays could occur as a result.
• Nordale Road – On August 7th 2019, there will be some construction as well as bridge inspections on Nordale Road. Be on the lookout for heavy equipment and construction workers.
• Parks Highway: Mile Post 358 – On August 14th 2019, bridge inspections and construction will occur on this part of Parks Highway. Possible light to moderate delays could occur.
• Steese Expressway – On August 15th 2019, there will be some moderate construction as well as bridge inspections on the Steese Expressway. Drive with caution and watch out for construction workers and construction vehicles on the road.

Ways to avoid getting stuck in construction traffic

Getting stuck in traffic because of construction on the road is never fun and always frustrating. Thankfully, you can avoid it as long as you are proactive enough to plan your drives ahead of time.

Obviously this guide will help you in the near future but you should still consider watching the traffic report on your local news station as well as using some sort of a GPS app with up-to-date traffic information such as Waze. An app like this can update itself based on real-time traffic conditions so that you can minimize your time in traffic.

You can also check the current status of Alaska’s road construction projects at Alaska.gov.
 

Conclusion

Overall, the traffic in Alaska is almost always not too bad. The population is less dense, thus, there is less traffic. Unfortunately, when it does get a little worse than expected, it is usually construction that is to blame. That is why you should take some time to plan your drive before you get out onto the road. You can use an app on your phone with up-to-date traffic information in conjunction with local news and online resources.

Remember, always drive safely and with caution. However, you should exercise the absolute highest level of safety and caution when you are driving through any construction zones because there are workers on the road and traffic will be slower and more difficult to navigate in those areas.