JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Construction is nearly complete for a gravel road extending to the west side of Juneau’s Douglas Island.
The City and Borough of Juneau is spending $3 million in grant funding to finish out the “pioneer road” on city property for future development, KTOO-FM reported (https://bit.ly/2rQPzWl ).
The west side of Douglas Island was identified decades ago as a future growth area for Juneau, said Roger Healy, the city’s director of Engineering and Public Works.
Construction on the road is expected to wrap up by the end of summer. The road will not be paved and motorized vehicles will not be allowed, but the road will be brought up to city standards for two-lane traffic when firm development is identified in the area, Healy said.
The city identified this area as a potential community hub in a conceptual plan drafted in 1997.
The island’s west coast is largely owned by Goldbelt, the city’s urban Native corporation, so if the road were to be extended for coastal access it would have to cross Goldbelt’s land.
Goldbelt holds more than 2 ½ square miles (5 square kilometers) and has expressed interest in building a port and developing the far-side of the island.
The city owns about 5 square miles of the island and the steep, mountainous sections are part of Tongass National Forest.
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Information from: KTOO-FM, https://www.ktoo.org
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