Traffic light, other upgrades at Fred Meyer intersection take another step with OK from Planning Commission

Members unanimously send state DOT project to Juneau Assembly for consideration

An illustration shows proposed upgrades at the intersection of Egan Drive and Yandukin Drive. Juneau International Airport is past the top of the image and Fred Meyer is beneath it. (Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities)

By Mark Sabbatini

Juneau Independent

Long-discussed upgrades at the Fred Meyer intersection took another step forward Tuesday night when the Juneau Planning Commission approved a state plan that includes a traffic light and pedestrian crossing.

The traffic light would be for inbound and outbound traffic on Egan Drive, with vehicles on the connecting streets continuing to enter the thoroughfare via acceleration lanes in each direction. There would be two left-turn lanes in each direction, reflecting the increased traffic on roads intersecting with Egan due to ongoing development.

Push-button pedestrian crossings spanning Egan and the access lanes would feature rapid-flash beacons, crosswalks and signs with flashing lights.

In response to questions from commission members and a member of the public asking why that set of options was selected over a different type of intersection — such as one with an elevated pedestrian bridge — practical considerations including costs were cited by state officials involved with the project.

"The pedestrian bridge was also one of the alternatives we're looking at potentially funding, but we don't know enough about basically the use patterns from pedestrians now," said James Brown, the project’s design manager for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. "Basically we're going to put the signal in place first and pedestrian crossings for addressing it with that first, and then there's going to be an assessment of how well that functions. But we have an alternative lined up that if we see that there's a need for that we have identified that already."

Construction is scheduled to begin in spring of 2027 and take about six months, said Yuri Mereszczak, a senior engineer for Parametrix, a company hired by the state to help with project design.

"Egan Drive will remain open throughout the duration of construction," he said. "It will be reduced to a single lane in each direction during portions of the construction. Speed limits on Egan Drive through the project area will likely be reduced, similar to the current condition, where the speeds are reduced in November through January."

Once completed the seasonal speed limit will be eliminated, pavement will be upgraded and "additional lighting to enhance nighttime visibility within the entire project area for all users," Mereszczak said.

The state issued recommendations for upgrades at the intersection in 2021 that have since seen modifications. Some local officials have said the intersection is among Juneau’s most dangerous for traffic and there also are increasing concerns about pedestrian safety.

"There’s no marked pedestrian crossing so we’re seeing a lot of people just run across the highway, which is unsafe," Brown said, adding that new businesses that have opened on the airport side of the road the past few years have exacerbated the situation.

The Planning Commission gave its unanimous approval to the project without discussion among members. Their decision becomes final 90 days after June 3, the date the project was submitted, unless modified or disapproved by the Juneau Assembly.

The project was part of the commission’s consent calendar — meaning it was set to get an OK quickly with no presentations or discussion at all — but commission member Mandy Cole asked it be pulled for a full review due to the high and ongoing interest residents have shown.

"I can't remember how many years I've been on the commission, but it's been many and nary a year goes by where someone doesn't bring up the intersection," she said.

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