State looks to build roadway connecting Juneau to highway system

JUNEAU, Alaska (KTUU) - The state has announced its plan to conduct a feasibility study to improve road access in Southeast Alaska with hopes of connecting the state capital to the road system.

The Chilkat Connecter Feasibility Study — authored by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities — will look at options to develop a roadway running along the west side of the Lynn Canal between Juneau and Haines, connecting the capital city to the rest of the state and Canada.

The state is also considering adding additional ports along the canal.

Juneau is the only capital city in the country without road access to the rest of the state. Instead, residents and visitors rely on boats and planes for transportation, which can be costly.

DOT Spokesperson Sam Dapcevich said the addition of a roadway out of Juneau will alleviate stress on the Alaska Marine Highway System, increasing ferry availability at other ports and reducing travel time.

“[People] could hop on the ferry and come into Juneau potentially for the day and then take care of a medical appointment or shopping and then head back up home,” he explained. “By building this road, you free up those ferries to provide more service to the rest of Southeast Alaska.”

This isn’t the first time the state has attempted to connect Juneau to the outside world via roadway; Similar proposals were made and ultimately failed in 1997 and 2004. A proposed extension of a road north of Juneau was also halted by former Gov. Bill Walker in 2016.

However, the Chilkat Connecter Feasibility Study examines a different route than before.

This time, engineers will look to build along the west side of the Lynn Canal and over the Chilkat River. In the past, studies have focused on the east side.

Dapcevich explained that the department will build upon previous data and use new technology when conducting the new study.

“[This study] is going to take a look at the construction, the operational and maintenance costs,” he said. “It’s gonna examine the environmental impacts and provide recommendations to see where we go forward from here.”

The cost of the Chilkat Connecter Feasibility Study will cost the state around $1 million. The DOT expects to release its findings by the end of the year.

Lynn Canal Conservation declined an interview, but sent a statement saying it does not support what it called “a waste of more taxpayer money on dead-end roads through hazardous terrain.”

It said it does support “reliable ferry service as a year-round travel solution for Southeast communities.”

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