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Restructured Egan-Vanderbilt intersection scheduled to open Saturday afternoon
- Mark Sabbatini
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
No stopping at light for southbound Egan traffic, merge lane for Vanderbilt motorists turning left onto highway are biggest changes, according to DOT
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
A restructuring of the intersection at Egan Drive and Vanderbilt Hill Road that began in May is scheduled to be complete Saturday afternoon, according to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.
The biggest changes are southbound traffic on Egan will no longer have to stop for a traffic light and motorists turning left onto Egan from Vanderbilt Hill Road will have an acceleration lane before merging with highway traffic, according to a video published Friday by DOT.
"The left turn from Vanderbilt onto southbound Egan is now a single left-turn lane," the video’s narrator states. "On the green arrow you will cross the northbound lanes into a new acceleration lane. That lane is all yours, with nobody coming down it behind you. Get up to highway speed, check your mirror and merge the same way you merge onto any highway."
The design known as a Continuous Green T Intersection is common nationwide where a side road meets a highway, according to DOT.
There will be little noticeable change from the previous design for people driving northbound on Egan, making right-hand turns from Vanderbilt onto the highway and making left-hand turns from Egan onto Vanderbilt.
DOT, in a text comment accompanying the YouTube video, stated the change was made for safety reasons.
"This intersection has a documented history of rear-end, angle, and sideswipe crashes," the post notes. "The CGT design reduces those conflict points to improve safety while keeping traffic moving. It was funded through the federal Highway Safety Improvement Program based on crash history and safety impact."
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
