NOTICE OF INTENT TO BEGIN ENGINEERING AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

Project Title: Bethel: Chief Eddie Hoffman Highway Rehabilitation
Project No.: CFHWY00673/0208013

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) has assumed the responsibilities of the Federal Highway Administration under 23 U.S.C. 327 and is soliciting comments and information on a proposal to reconstruct Chief Eddie Hoffman Highway from the Airport to Watson’s Corner in Bethel, Alaska. The purpose of the proposed project is to restore the structural integrity of the existing roadway and to extend the service life and enhance the safety and capacity of the facility.

The proposed work would include as needed:

• Roadside Hardware (e.g. Signing, roadside barriers, guardrail and/or guardrail end treatments, signalization, and illumination)
• Structural section repairs (e.g. digouts)
• Drainage improvements (e.g. ditching, culvert replacement, storm drains, underdrains, and hydraulic control structures)
• Striping
• ADA improvements including updating curb ramps and sidewalks to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements
• Intersection improvements (e.g. adding turn lanes, adding or reconfiguring channelization islands, and realigning cross streets.)
• Utility realignments
• Vegetation clearing and grubbing

The proposed project would comply with all applicable authorities including Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act; Executive Order-11990 (Wetland Protection); Executive Order-11988 (Floodplain Management); Executive Order 11593 (Historic Preservation); Executive Order 13084 (Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments); Clean Air Act; Clean Water Act; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act; U.S. DOT Act Section 4(f); Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act; Endangered Species Act; Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation Management Act; and Section 6(f) of the Land and Water Conservation Act.

Construction for the proposed project is anticipated to begin in Summer 2028. To ensure that all possible factors are considered, please provide written comments to the following address by February 8, 2026.

 
Brian Elliott, Regional Environmental Manager
DOT&PF Preliminary Design & Environmental
P.O. Box 196900
Anchorage, Alaska 99519-6900

If you have any questions or require additional information, please contact Travis Holmes, P.E., Project Manager, at 269-0543 or at travis.holmes@alaska.gov.

It is the policy of the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF) that no person shall be excluded from participation in, or be denied benefits of any and all programs or activities we provide based on race, religion, color, gender, age, marital status, ability, or national origin, regardless of the funding source including Federal Transit Administration, Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Highway Administration and State of Alaska Funds. 

The DOT&PF complies with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Individuals with a hearing impairment can contact DOT&PF at our Telephone Device for the Deaf (TDD) at (907) 269-0473.