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6
This phase will determine which
of the roadway alternatives should advance for further refinement
in the next stage of evaluation—NEPA analysis. Because the project
is funded by federal dollars through the Federal Highway Administration,
the project must comply with NEPA. NEPA requires the study of all
reasonable alternatives and disclosure of environmental impacts associated
with each alternative to the public and decision-makers. Topics that
will be studied in a NEPA environmental analysis include land use;
social and economic impacts; population employment, and community
character; noise; and wetlands.Three alternatives (noted below) are
on the table for consideration.Supporting transit, bike and pedestrian,
and TDM/TSM strategies will be carried forward as part of any build
alternative.
Existing Alignment Option |
This option
represents expanding the road along its current alignment in the bottleneck area (roughly
between McCarrey Street and Medfra Street, near Alaska Sales and Service). Interchanges
(raised roadways to keep cross traffic separate like at Muldoon Road and Boniface Parkway
on the Glenn Highway) would also be constructed at Bragaw Street and Airport Heights
Drive. Click on Existing Alignment Option to see a diagram. |
Couplet Option |
The easiest way to envision the couplet option is to
picture some existing couplets in town like the 5th Avenue couplet, the A-C Street
couplet, or the Northern Lights-Benson Boulevard couplet. In a couplet, two roads run
parallel to one another and carry traffic in opposite directions. In the Glenn Highway
couplet option, the section of 5th Avenue near the constricted section (between Medfra
Street, near Alaska Sales and Service, and Airport Heights Drive) would be redesigned to
carry only eastbound or outgoing traffic. Incoming traffic would then travel on Commercial
Drive-3 Avenue (via a new connection either near Bragaw Street or at Airport Heights
Drive) and then continue into town on 3rd Avenue. A new diagonal road near Post Road would
connect 3rd Avenue. Interchanges (raised roadways to keep cross traffic separate like at
Muldoon Road and Boniface Parkway on the Glenn Highway) would also be constructed at
Bragaw Street and possibly some other intersections. Click on Couplet Option to see
a diagram. |
Reversible Lane Option |
This option
would add lanes but minimize the amount of right-of-way needed for the upgrade. It would
include an additional lane in each direction between Airport Heights Drive and McCarrey
Street (an area in which additional lanes would fit easily), and it would convert the
existing center turn lane to a reversible flow lane in the constricted area. This lane
would carry only incoming traffic during the morning busy travel time and it would carry
only outgoing traffic during the evening busy travel time. (A moveable, lane barrier would
guide traffic into the appropriate lanes). Turns into businesses and side streets would be
restricted when the moveable lane barrier is in use. Under this scenario, an interchange
would be constructed at Bragaw Street and possibly at Airport Heights Drive to keep cross
traffic separate. Click on Reversible Lane Option to see a diagram. |
Read more about the evaluation
process in the report titled "Screening Analysis Technical Memorandum," on the Reports page.
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