The Matanuska-Susitna Borough (MSB) and Alaska Dept. of Transportation and Public Facilities (Alaska DOT&PF) are planning important safety improvements along the Bogard/Seldon road corridor.
The plan, if adopted, could inform project improvements to the corridor over the next 10-20 years and would address approximately 13-miles of roadway, from the Glenn Highway to Church Road. The plan proposes changing how driveways and streets connect into the corridor using a strategy called "Access Management". Access management is a tool to arrange the best locations for driveway or street intersections along major roadways. The goal is to reduce traffic conflicts and improve traffic flow, making it safer and easier for people to use the road corridor.
The MSB Official Streets and Highways Plan (2022) classifies the Bogard-Seldon Road corridor as an arterial road. Arterials should have carefully organized access points that balance local property access with area-wide mobility. Without an access management plan in place, the Bogard-Seldon Road corridor has developed over the years with too many direct access points, increasing the opportunity for traffic conflicts. As the Mat-Su valley population continues to grow and sparks new development, the challenges faced by the traveling public on this corridor will likely increase.
Says Mike Brown, Borough Manager, “If adopted, the plan could help position the Borough and the State Department of Transportation in employing federal infrastructure funding that is expected in the next few years. Leveraging federal funds would help the entire Borough financially while improving this important east/west road corridor.”
Putting the plan into action will require a phased approach, with completion not expected for 20 years. Borough Planning Director, Alex Strawn says, “The most immediate impacts could be with permitting and platting actions”. The location of new driveways, as well as proposed roads within new subdivisions would be guided by the plan.
Some road networks that feed into the Bogard/Seldon corridor are also recommended for upgrades to accommodate new traffic patterns. The Borough and the State of Alaska own segments of this corridor so recommendations have been developed through a collaboration between both organizations.
The MSB has three other access management plans in place: West Seldon Road (Church Rd. to Pittman Rd., adopted in 2017); South Big Lake Road Realignment (also known as the West Susitna Parkway, adopted in 2014); and Petersville Road (adopted in 1998). Access management plans are listed in MSB 15.24
The public is invited to attend the public open house, provide comment on the plan, and/or attend other public meetings where this plan will be presented. The website has a list of public meetings with dates, times, and locations, as well as a public comment feature. Public comments will be used to refine the plan prior to it being presented to the MSB Assembly for consideration.
Road Corridor Location:
Public Comment Period:
October 9 - December 3, 2024.
Public Open House details:
Plan Website: bogardseldonaccess.matsugov.us
Staff contact:
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