Island residents were invited to an open house at City Hall on Nov. 19, where Wrangell officials and the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities presented final designs for the long-awaited Evergreen Road improvement project.
The project would rehabilitate the road from the Alaska Marine Highway terminal to 500 feet short of the airport along Stikine and Evergreen Streets.
“It was a decent turnout,” said Chris Schelb, environmental analyst for DOT’s Southcoast Region. He was among the design team flown in to meet with residents and field questions in an informal setting.
For those unable to attend the meeting, conceptual images with overlays of the proposed changes are still available to view on request at City Hall.
An accompanying sidewalk and retaining wall would be added between the terminal and turnoff to Petroglyph Beach. Drainage along the roadway would also be improved, and utility poles realigned. Other improvements will include additional signage, curbs, gutters and guardrail.
Construction was initially slated for this year, but delays have pushed the schedule forward by a year.
Under the current timeline the final design phase will run through March 2016, during which time right-of-way acquisition and agreements will be finalized. The state will then advertise for bid, and by May expects construction to begin. Weather-permitting, completion of the project is scheduled for October.
Assembly approved a memorandum of understanding with DOT in August. Funds for Wrangell’s portion of the project have been set aside since last year’s budget, mostly derived from the Street Fund paid from sales taxes with part coming from the city’s Economic Fund.
In its entirety, the Evergreen improvements had been estimated at just below $6 million. Wrangell’s share of the project will be at 9.03 percent, or around $540,000. Up to $588,000 have been approved in the FY15 and FY16 budgets.
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