Transportation officials are planning to move forward with a proposal for Sterling Highway that would bypass Cooper Landing, a crowded recreation area in the summer.
The Alaska Dispatch News reports transportation officials announced Friday that the preferred route would build 5.5 miles of highway farther from Kenai Lake, crossing the lower Juneau Creek and Kenai River.
Alaska’s Department of Transportation needs to get Federal Highway Administration approval before it can begin construction in 2018 as intended.
The $303.5 million project would also rebuild 8 miles of road for safety. The state is contributing $30 million, with federal dollars covering the remaining cost.
Department officials hope to finish the project on the 65-year-old route by 2023.
Public comment is still being accepted for the proposal.
