Lemon Creek turnoff on Egan Drive closed for project that will allow southbound traffic to bypass stoplight

Work at Vanderbilt Hill Road intersection began Wednesday on a ‘Continuous Green T Intersection’ that will add a separate merge lane for drivers turning onto highway

A construction crew performs early-stage work on restructuring the intersection of Egan Drive and Vanderbilt Hill Road on Thursday, May 28, 2026. The project will allow southbound traffic on Egan to proceed without a stoplight. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Independent)

By Mark Sabbatini

Juneau Independent

There will be one less stoplight for people commuting on Egan Drive from the Mendenhall Valley to downtown by the end of this summer, if a project that began Wednesday is completed as scheduled.

State workers are installing what’s known as a Continuous Green T Intersection at the highway’s turnoff to Vanderbilt Hill Road, a primary access road to the Lemon Creek area. The turnoff is closed to traffic during the first phase of work, with the full project scheduled for completion Aug. 30.

A diagram shows plans for an upgraded intersection at Egan Drive and Vanderbilt Hill Road. (Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities)

The rebuilt intersection will feature two southbound lanes on Egan that don’t have to stop for the traffic signal there. Also, there will be a separate lane before the signal for left turns from Egan to Vanderbilt and a merge lane after the signal for drivers turning left from Vanderbilt onto Egan.

"By allowing one direction of the highway to move freely, the updated traffic signals can provide more green-light time for other turns, reducing delays for everyone," the project’s website states. "Ultimately, these changes will streamline travel for commuters and freight while creating a more predictable and accessible environment for pedestrians and cyclists."

The first phase of the project includes new medians on Vanderbilt Hill Road and Egan Drive, according to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. Motorists accessing Lemon Creek will need to use Glacier Highway either from the Hospital Drive or Sunny Point intersections.

The second phase will include work on Egan Drive, including the new turn lanes, according to DOT.

Much like installing a roundabout, state officials expect the new intersection won’t be familiar to all drivers.

"We know both the non-stop southbound lanes and the new merge lane will be an adjustment, and we will be putting together educational content to help show how the new movement will look," the project’s website notes.

• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.