The Lake Street Rehabilitation Project, a comprehensive reconstruction of Lake Street, recently began construction to repave roughly 2,500 feet of the road, add bike lanes to both sides of the street, reconstruct sidewalks, curbs and gutters, re-establish ditches, fix culverts and improve drainage.

The project was originally proposed in 2014, and the $5.7 million construction contract was awarded to Southcentral Construction Inc., located in Anchorage, in December 2020.

Shannon McCarthy, administration operations manager and media liaison of the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, said the purpose of the rehabilitation project is to improve the condition of the road.

“The road is still serving the community fairly well, but the pavement is at the end of its life,” she said. “It doesn’t have a lot of pedestrian and bike amenities, so the project will repave the street. It will re-establish the ditches so the water will flow off and into the ditch where it is supposed to. We will replace the culverts that are pretty old, and that will help the pavement stay in good condition for a long amount of time.”

McCarthy also said travel delays and detours are to be expected, specifically at the Lake Street and Sterling Highway intersection where the original red light equipment and conduit will be upgraded. A temporary traffic light will be installed.

“The department is committed to making sure access to businesses is still maintained, and the public knows where to go,” McCarthy said. “We are really excited about this project, and we always love upgrading a road to add pedestrian facilities, so I think it will be a nice addition to the community.”

The construction is expected to be completed by fall 2021. Final updates may extend into spring 2022 but will not limit traffic access.

No changes will be made to the East End Road/Pioneer Avenue and Lake Street intersection at this time.

For more information about the Lake Street Rehabilitation Project, contact Clint Adler, project manager for the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, at 907-269-0544.

Reach Sarah Knapp at sarah.knapp@homernews.com.