The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) invites you to a public hearing (virtual format with website, social media, and telephonic access as well as in-person access) to review and make comments on the Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) and the Draft Programmatic Section 4(f) Evaluation relating to proposed safety improvements to Seward Highway between Mileposts (MP) 105 and 107, known as Windy Corner. This is a rescheduled event. In-person hearings originally planned for late March 2020 in Anchorage and Girdwood were cancelled due to COVID-19 related public health mandates.

The public hearing is for the purpose of considering the economic, social, and environmental effects of the project and the project’s consistency with the goals and objectives of community planning that has been carried out.

All documents are available at www.windycorner.info.  Hard copies of the Draft EA, including Appendix G, Public and Agency Comments, are available for review at DOT&PF Central Region Office located at 4111 Aviation Avenue in Anchorage, AK and at the DOT&PF Statewide Office located at 3132 Channel Drive in Juneau, AK or upon request at windycorner@dowl.com. The Draft EA will be available at the ZJ Loussac Library in Anchorage and the Gerrish Branch Library in Girdwood when the libraries are reopened for in-person visits as they currently closed for in-person visits by order of the Library Director due to COVID-19 related public health concerns.

The Draft EA Preferred Alternative consists of improving the Seward Highway from MP 105 to MP 107. The purpose of the project is to implement safety upgrades to reduce high severity crashes and improve traffic operations to alleviate traffic congestion. DOT&PF has considered six build alternatives plus one no-build alternative. The proposed highway includes two 12-foot lanes in each direction separated by a median and paved shoulders. The Alaska Railroad Corporation tracks will be realigned to make space for the highway improvements. The modifications require right-of-way (ROW) in the form of a land exchange including the conversion of 26.3 acres of intertidal mudflats within Chugach State Park to transportation use and DOT&PF relinquishing 14.7 acres of land within the existing transportation ROW to DNR for park use. The Preferred Alternative proposes to extract approximately 2 million cubic yards of aggregate, riprap, and armor stone from material locations within Chugach State Park near MP 109 and MP 104 (if needed) for construction of the improvements at Windy Corner. New recreational facilities and parking areas will be constructed near MP 106.5.

When a federally assisted transportation improvement project on existing or new alignment will use a Section 4(f) property a Section 4(f) evaluation is needed. For this project, a net benefit programmatic Section 4(f) evaluation was conducted and the preliminary view of DOT&PF and the official with jurisdiction (DNR Commissioner) over the Section 4(f) property is included in Appendix E of the Draft EA. A final action on the land exchange is expected in Fall 2020 with construction to follow in 2021.

Meeting Information:

Date: Thursday, July 30, 2020, Beginning at 5 p.m.

Meeting Agenda:
Presentation
Project Question and Answer
Review Options for Submitting Comments
Adjourn Public Hearing

More detailed information about how to participate online, via teleconference, or in person will be available on the project website by July 14, 2020: www.windycorner.info.

Comment Information: 

The comment period began on March 6, 2020 and ends at midnight Alaska Standard Time on August 14, 2020.  

Comments may be submitted:

• By mail: Brian Elliott, Environmental Manager, DOT&PF Preliminary Design & Environmental; PO Box 196900, Anchorage, AK 99519-6900.

• By email:  windycorner@dowl.com.  Please include Seward Highway MP 105-107 Draft EA Comment in the subject line.

• By telephone voicemail: 907-865-1378

All public comments received will be recorded, transcribed, become part of the public record, and may be subject to Freedom of Information Act requests.

For technical questions, contact Tom Schmid, P.E., DOT&PF Project Manager at 907-269-0543 or via email at tom.schmid@alaska.gov.

The environmental review, consultation, and other actions required by applicable federal environmental laws for this proposed project are being, or have been, carried out by DOT&PF pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327 and Memorandum of Understanding dated November 3, 2017 and executed by Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and DOT&PF.

This action complies with: Executive Order (EO) 11593, Protection and Enhancement of Cultural Environment; EO 11988, Floodplain Management; EO 11990, Protection of Wetlands; EO 12898, Environmental Justice; EO 13007, Indian Sacred Sites; EO 13045, Protection of Children from Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks; EO 13175, Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments; and EO 13112, Invasive Species.

The Alaska DOT&PF operates without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability regardless of the funding source, including Federal Transit Administration, Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Highway Administration, and state funds.  Full Title VI Nondiscrimination Policy: dot.alaska.gov/tvi_statement.shtml. To file a complaint go to: dot.alaska.gov/cvlrts/titlevi.shtml.  For individuals requiring TTY communications, please contact Alaska Relay 711 or 1.800.676.3777.

Past Project Notices:

https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=168857

https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=197310