WELCOME –  KODIAK PEL

Welcome to the website for the Kodiak Sargent Creek and Russian River Bridges Planning and Environmental Linkage (PEL) Study, also known as the Kodiak PEL.

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) in collaboration with the Kodiak Island Borough (KIB) launched a PEL study to identify options for replacing the bridge structures and investigating flooding around Sargent Creek and Russian River, near Womens Bay on Kodiak Island. DOT&PF bridge inspections have found that both Sargent Creek Bridge #0989 and Russian River Bridge #0990 have cracks in the concrete girders, resulting in a “poor” superstructure rating. Both bridges are narrower than the adjoining Rezanof Drive roadway and are in poor condition and structurally deficient. These bridges are critical for residential, commercial and industrial access. Loss of these bridges would impact not just the immediate area but also the connectivity to points south, surrounding neighborhoods, and adjacent lands.

The Kodiak PEL will evaluate hydrological demands and identify potential changes to the bridge footings, opportunities for upstream mitigation, and design alternatives. We will be looking at not just the roads, bridges, and river/creek but also the surrounding areas to get a more comprehensive picture of the impacts and contributing factors. It is possible that multiple projects with different owners will be recommended in the final PEL study to address the bridges, ongoing flooding, safety and other community concerns in the vicinity. These could include other ideas that have surfaced in prior planning documents such as pedestrian access and tourism opportunities. While DOT&PF may not be involved in the execution of all these ideas, this PEL study is encompassing of the wider vision for the area.

Project Study Area Map

PEL represents a collaborative and integrated approach to transportation decision-making that 1) considers environmental, community, and economic goals early in the transportation planning process; and 2) uses the information, analysis, and products developed during planning to inform the environmental review process. The PEL process also allows decision makers and stakeholders to narrow the range of ideas (alternatives) to be considered and to identify and prepare for issues to be addressed in the later NEPA process and project design phases. More information can be found at the U.S Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA’s) Environmental Review Toolkit.

We’re just getting started! This website will be populated as the study evolves. We hope you’ll sign up for our email list to receive project updates.