May 5, 1999

Letter to the Editor
Kodiak Daily Mirror
1419 Selig Street
Kodiak, Alaska 99615

This letter is in response to several concerns raised in the Kodiak Mirror these last couple of weeks about the Alaska Department of Transportation (DOT) work on Deadman's curve.

First off people must understand that DOT, working with the Kodiak Island Borough (KIB), sets a priority list of local projects that both the KIB and the DOT can agree on. If you are interested in what the list of projects is, you can contact the KIB or my office and we will get you a copy. My personal preference is that both ends of Rezanof Drive be rebuilt instead of the current work on Deadman's Curve. In my conversation with DOT, last year, I was told that this project was too far along to change anything. I was also told it was a project that had been approved by the KIB and DOT.

The second thing that must be understood is that most of DOT's money is from the federal government, who places restrictions on how this money is to be spent. Most Kodiak residents will remember how bad Mill Bay Road got before it was completely rebuilt. Deadman's curve, Mill Bay Road and both ends of Rezanof Drive fall under the same funding source. This source of federal dollars is for rebuilding roads, not for maintenance. Basically they have to let both ends of Rezanof Drive fall completely apart and then they can rebuild it.

Currently DOT is in the process of redoing their new list of projects. Through my office we plan on working with the KIB and DOT to get both ends of Rezanof Drive done as soon as possible. In my view this should be at the top of the KIB list of roads to be fixed. Contact the KIB and let them know what you think.

Alan Austerman

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