Engineering – City and Borough of Juneau

Marine Park Improvements to Begin March 2

The planned rebuild of Marine Park will begin on Monday, March 2. Construction is expected to last through 2026 with estimated completion in April 2027. During this time, pedestrians will need to follow signs around the construction site. A map of pedestrian routes, along with information about the project, can be found at bit.ly/MarineParkProject.

Reconstruction of Marine Park is funded entirely by Marine Passenger Fees, which are fees and taxes the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) collects from the cruise ship industry. The funds are restricted by the U.S. Constitution to projects benefitting cruise ships and their passengers.

Planning for the Marine Park rebuild began in 2023, when CBJ received over 1000 public survey responses and input from multiple public meetings. Based on the public input received, the final park was designed to provide a central gathering place for use in all seasons and by all ages, with the flexibility for a variety of community events and activities. The park will include an open plaza area with Northwest Coast formline inlay, a covered performance stage, ADA accessible picnic tables, seating overlooking the Juneau Seawalk, two vendor kiosks and a small play area.

CBJ is working to relocate regular vendors to new areas during the construction. Construction is being completed by Dawson Construction LLC.

For more information about Marine Park and the Marine Park Master Plan, contact CBJ Parks & Recreation at [email protected] or 907-586-5226.

February 20th, 2026|

Public Outreach Meeting on North Franklin Reconstruction Scheduled for January 21

The City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) Engineering and Public Works, alongside Homeshore Engineering, will host a public meeting on Wednesday, January 21, 2026 to present design details regarding the North Franklin Reconstruction Project.

This project, anticipated to begin in summer 2026, will include a complete reconstruction of North Franklin from 2^nd Street to 6^th Street. The project will involve upgrades to water, wastewater and storm drain utilities as well as replacement of curb, gutters, sidewalk, pedestrian structures, and pavement. The meeting will consist of a brief design presentation by Homeshore Engineering and CBJ Engineering and Public Works followed by public comment.

Meeting Details:

When: Wednesday, January 21, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Where: City Hall, Assembly Chambers
Format: In-person only

Community members are encouraged to attend to learn about the project, ask questions and provide critical feedback.

For questions, contact Chris Dillon at CBJ Engineering and Public Works at (907) 586-5254 or [email protected].

January 16th, 2026|

CBJ Recycling Center Remains Closed Until Midweek

Due to a lack of storage space and inability for new storage containers to be delivered during the winter storm, the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) Recycling Center will be closed through January 13. RecycleWorks staff will use that time to continue digging out from snow and making space for new material. The facility hopes open to the public on Wednesday, January 14.

CBJ will provide an update about the Recycling Center open hours on Tuesday, January 13. CBJ Household Hazardous Waste will open for normal operating hours on Thursday, January 15.

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For more information, contact RecycleWorks Manager Stuart Ashton at [email protected] or visit the RecycleWorks webpage at juneau.org/engineering-public-works/recycleworks.

January 12th, 2026|

CBJ Offices in Marine View Close Early Today, December 17

City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) offices in the Marine View Building will close early at 3:30 p.m. today, December 17 due to a scheduled power shutoff in the building. CBJ’s Community Development Department, Permit Center, and Engineering and Public Works Department will resume normal hours the following day, December 18, 2025.

For more information, contact the Community Development Department at (907) 586-0715.

December 17th, 2025|

CBJ, Tlingit & Haida, USFS Align on Enduring Solution for Glacial Lake Outburst Flooding

For Immediate Release:
December 12, 2025

CBJ, Tlingit & Haida, USFS Align on Enduring Solution for Glacial Lake Outburst Flooding

Municipal, Tribal and Federal partners committed to working with USACE on expedient solution

Juneau, Alaska – Representatives from the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ), Tlingit & Haida (T&H), and the USDA Forest Service (USFS) this week joined the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) and technical experts from relevant agencies to review and evaluate enduring flood-control alternatives for the Glacial Lake Outburst Flooding in the Mendenhall Valley. Following three days of technical analysis of the safety, feasibility, constructability, cost and timeline of the five proposed alternatives, T&H, CBJ and USFS united on their shared support for the Lake Tap alternative. All three agencies encourage USACE to move forward with this option as the focus of the Technical Report.“From the perspective of safety and protection of the community, construction timeline and impact to the area, a lake tap option quickly rose to the top as an enduring solution,” explains Denise Koch, CBJ Director of Engineering & Public Works. “We greatly appreciate the recognition of urgency by the USACE and the contributions of the dozens of technical experts convened to tackle this ongoing threat to our community on accelerated timeline.”

The five alternatives reviewed over the three-day charrette included flood-control dam(s), levees or floodwalls, Suicide Basin lake tap, relocation, and a hybrid option. Experts from USACE and their partners presented a high level of technical data and risk analysis; however, there was wide acknowledgement that future geotechnical studies would be central to the implementation of any solution. Participants also reviewed the public input provided via the 30-day public comment period in November 2025.

“Tlingit & Haida went into this week with the purpose of reviewing all options with a single priority: identify an approach that best safeguards citizens, protects cultural resources, and supports the wellbeing of the broader Juneau community,” said Tlingit & Haida Public Safety Manager Sabrina Grubritz. “The lake tap option appears to best meet those goals with the data currently available.”

Tlingit & Haida and CBJ are the community partners for this critical USACE report. As the impacted land manager, the USFS will also play important role in an enduring solution.

The purpose of the charrette was to determine the focus for the USACE technical report, which will inform the next steps in pursuing an enduring solution to the annual glacial lake outburst flooding (GLOF) events in the Mendenhall Valley. USACE plans to release the technical report in May 2026, with a public comment period to follow. While the completion of a technical report is an important step, it does not guarantee funding for a project construction. CBJ, Tlingit & Haida and USFS are committed to their joint pursuit of a completed solution as quickly as possible.

“Time is of the essence,” emphasized Koch. “It is going to take close collaboration across government agencies at all levels to get us to an enduring solution. We truly value our strong partnership with Tlingit & Haida, the U.S. Forest Service and USACE, as well as the ongoing advocacy and involvement of our residents and representatives.”

Information regarding the USACE Mendenhall Glacial Lake Outburst Flooding Technical Report is available at the project website.

Contact:
Ashley Heimbigner, [email protected]
Dixie Hutchinson, [email protected]
Paul Robbins, [email protected]

December 12th, 2025|