Dear Neighbors,

One of the biggest issues in this office this session has been the safety of the Seward Highway. In response to public concern, the Alaska Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Alaska Department of Public Safety, Division of Alaska State Troopers, have begun a three-phase program that will evaluate and improve highway safety.

The three-phase approach will start with immediate measures that can be taken to enforce speed limits. "Smart Carts" have been placed along the highway at Indian, leading south out of Anchorage, and at Girdwood, for traffic heading north to Anchorage. The carts display the posted speed limits and continually flash the actual speeds of on-coming traffic. In addition, changeable message signs are now flashing notices to drivers of increased Trooper presence along the highway and all of the speed limit signs are being "red-flagged" to be more visible.

The second phase of work in the spring will include already-scheduled installation of additional speed limit signs and a series of studies to identify other signage needs or short-term improvements. A speed study review will also be conducted to reconfirm the appropriateness of the speed zones. A Safety Report will be issued summarizing the study findings and recommending other short-term safety projects.

Long-term work on the highway will focus on the reconstruction and upgrading of the unimproved portion of the highway between MP 99 to 115. Design work is underway now for the two projects that will complete this multi-lane upgrading of the highway between Potter and Girdwood. Toward that end, Governor Murkowski has included $12 million in his 2006 budget proposal for the reconstruction of the "Windy Corner" segment of the highway.

For more information, contact Rick Feller, DOT Central region, at (907) 269-0772.

As always, I look forward to your input on this and other issues in Alaska.

Sincerely,

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