Gary Kobayashi

Construction on the three-quarter-mile section between Access Road and the turnoff to Fire Lake Elementary will continue through October and will hopefully be completed this year, said Gary Kobayashi, project manager with the Department of Transportation.

Work on the section began Wednesday.The project was slated to take place next year but the construction of the Fire Eagle Town homes and the Fred Meyer store moved it up.

Kobayashi said the Pruhs Corporation, which is the contractor on the project, would now be racing the clock to complete the project by winter.

"They will get done as much as they can this year, weather permitting," said Kobayashi.
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Kobayashi said that project was originally scheduled to include two closures, but the contractor is now requesting more.Kobayashi said that request would be reviewed.
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"For now, they will just have to work around that stretch," said Kobayashi.

With the race against the weather, Kobayashi said the project has one ally.He said the road project would be completed with an asphalt treated base, which can be applied later in the season than other materials.

Along with the actual construction congestion, Kobayashi said gravel trucks would be traveling the road with increased frequency.
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Kobayashi said the fencing would likely be completed by the end of the month.Other aesthetic improvements, including a retaining wall near the Matanuska Electric Association substation, will be completed this season.

Reach the reporter at gdart@alaskastar.com

Project manager Gary Kobayashi said crews were able to complete more than they had planned, and the public has been extremely supportive.

"It has been a model as far as how the process should work," said Kobayashi, who oversaw the six months of construction from the Eagle River interchange to the McDonald Recreation Center turnoff.
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Kobayashi said last week that sensors were being put in at the intersections with traffic lights to avoid long waits when little traffic is present.

Fencing along the stretch of highway also was completed in November.The material and labor was funded through federal beautification money mandated by Anchorage Metropolitan Area Transportation Solutions, the local governing body of state transportation projects.
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In the summer's second Old Glenn project, work beyond the North Eagle River Interchange was benefited immensely by the late snowfall, said Kobayashi.He said not only was asphalt put down, but also work on the drainage is ahead of schedule.

"We were able to finish more than we planned," said Kobayashi of the late season, three-quarter mile reconstruction project.

Kobayashi said next year work will continue in the area, straightening the stretch of road in front of Fred Meyer and adding additional lanes for a total of five, tapered down to two by the McDonald Recreation Center turnoff.

The big project next year on the Old Glenn will likely be the restructuring of the Old Glenn and Access Road intersection.

"With construction on both sides this year, we didn't think tearing up the intersection would be a good idea," said Kobayashi.

Reach the reporter at gdart@alaskastar.com

According to Gary Kobayashi, project engineer with the Department of Transportation, the project has gone smoothly due to good work by Quality Asphalt and understanding residents.

"We're a little bit ahead of schedule," said Kobayashi Monday."I'm pleasantly surprised how patient the citizens of Eagle River have been with this project.By far, this project has had the most public cooperation of any I have done."

Kobayashi said one big benefit of the quick work was the opening of a right-turn-only lane at the intersection of the Old Glenn and Eagle River Loop Road.The intersection has been the perennial cause of backups and long waits.

"It certainly did reduce the wait time at the signal," said Kobayashi of the new lane prior to the Bear Paw Festival."It wasn't planned to be done (for the festival), but it sure worked out good."

Kobayashi said public comment has already made at least two changes in the project.

The first, which was brought up at a Chugiak-Eagle River Chamber of Commerce luncheon before the project began, was a change to decorative fence, which will line the sides of the Old Glenn.Kobayahi said public comments caused the department to consider pedestrian access.

"As of now, we will be adding pedestrian openings," said Kobayashi.Before public comment, the fence would have been continuous except for openings at business driveways, he said.
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Kobayashi said after he was alerted of the possible problem, he surveyed it.

"It was obvious there was a problem, so we moved the curb," said Kobayashi.

In this paper two weeks ago, Gary Kobayashi, project engineer with the Department of Transportation, commended the people of Chugiak-Eagle River for their patience throughout the project, adding that he has never seen such "public cooperation."

We thank you guys, too, Gary, because cooperation is a two-way street.