The State of Alaska plans to replace the deteriorating Sargent Creek and Russian River bridges on the main road near Bells Flats, south of Kodiak. But the state is just starting to put together a study of the bridges and surrounding area and hosted its first public open house for the project this week.
Tuesday evening, Nov. 4, in the Womens Bay Fire Station, about 30 Kodiak residents milled about, looking over easels with blown up slides on poster board detailing different aspects of the state’s project.
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities is investigating flooding around Sargent Creek and Russian River and is looking at various options to replace two bridges in the area. According to the department, both bridges have cracks in the concrete girders and are considered in “poor” condition. So rather than repairing them, the state says that replacing both bridges would be the better option.
Several residents that KMXT spoke to such as Pete Cummiskey and Brian Himmelbloom were concerned about safety around the Sargent Creek and Russian River bridges. Not just driver safety when the road floods, but also safety for bear viewers who tend to congregate at the two narrow bridges and stop traffic on the road.
Sonny Mauricio, a spokesperson for DOT, said via email that the main public concerns the department heard focused on flooding, safety for pedestrians and cyclists as well as better accommodations for wildlife viewing in the area.
The state says the goal of their planning and environmental study is to create replacement bridges that will last for 75 years after they’re built, improve flood resilience in the area and enhance transportation and recreational opportunities.
Both Sargent Creek and the Russian River have seen persistent flooding over the years and have been the focus of a recent hydrology study by the Kodiak Island Borough, which was conducted by River Focus, Inc. DOT’s study will incorporate that document as well as community concerns and input from the project’s advisory committee. According to Mauricio, the advisory committee includes stakeholders from the area such as the Kodiak Island Borough and Koniag.
Although the project timeline is not finalized, the department hopes to have the final study done by the end of the next year and then select an alternative to move forward with into the design and construction phase.
Public comments on the draft project documents called the purpose & need, as well as the alternative screening criteria, are being accepted until Dec. 5.
