The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) proposes to rehabilitate segments of the mill access road (AKA Seley Mill Road) on Gravina Island in the Borough of Ketchikan, Alaska. The road would be rehabilitated and realigned over a length of approximately 1.5 miles. The Beginning of Project (BOP) is 0.8 miles north of the junction with Bostwick Lake Road and the End of Project (EOP) is located at the Gravina Mill Site. The project is located within Sections 8, 16, and 21 of Township 75 South, Range 90 East of the Copper River Meridian.

The proposed project is state-funded through a general obligation (GO) bond approved by voters in November 2012 for Alaska transportation projects. The project would support the Borough of Ketchikan’s 2020 comprehensive Land Use Plan by improving access to and subsequent development of Borough owned lands in the northern portion of Gravina island.

The mill access road is an Alaska state-owned, Borough-managed road, originally constructed for a timber processing plant north of Lewis Creek that is no longer in operation. The existing Gravina Mill Road is approximately 3 miles long, averages 14 feet in width, and is a single-lane, gravel road with six stream crossings.

The State-funded project would
     •  remove two bridges and one blocked culvert
     •  add new stream crossing structures that meet fish passage and hydraulic standards, as well 
        as public safety standards and long-term viability
     •  realign the road to meet federal (AASHTO) and state (DOT&PF) design standards for roads 
        and bridges
     •  correct vertical and horizontal road alignments where needed
     •  add inter-visible turnouts, where necessary, to meet the design standards
     •  add surface and base course material
     •  recover and re-vegetate existing road segments no longer needed for the rehabilitated road

The road would remain a single-lane gravel road, have a speed limit of 25 miles per hour and end at the old Gravina Mill site.

                                        Construction is projected for late 2016.

Potential impacts include
     •  impacts to 1.5 acres of wetland under and adjacent to the existing road
     •  stream diversion for construction of the new crossings which could result in a temporary 
         degradation of water quality
     •  traffic delays and single lane controls due to construction activities
     •  temporary noise impacts as well as a temporary reduction in air quality from construction 
         equipment

DOT&PF is currently evaluating the social, economic, and environmental impacts as well as impacts to cultural resources from this project and will complete a State Environmental Checklist.

Comments on the proposal from interested persons will assist us in completing the project design and preparing the project’s environmental documentation.

Please submit written comments to
     John Barnett, Environmental Coordinator
     DOT&PF, Southcoast Region Phone: 907-465-4504
     P.O. Box 112506 FAX: 907-465-3506
     Juneau AK 99811-2506 E- mail: john.barnett@alaska.gov 

  Or to
     Nina Horne, Environmental Analyst
     Phone: 907-465-2156
     E-mail: nina.horne@alaska.gov

If you or someone you represent requires special accommodations in order to respond to this public notice, please call or email the project coordinator listed above or call Alaska Relay at 

     (800) 770-8973 for TTY         (800) 770-8255 for voice
     (800) 770-3919 for ASCII      (866) 355-6198 for STS

Ask the communications assistant to call the project coordinator listed above so arrangements can be made to assist you.