Juneau Douglas North Crossing
The Juneau Douglas North Crossing is a significant investment in the safety, resilience and economic future of our city.
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Background
Since the 1980s, the community, and thereby the City and Borough of Juneau, has recognized the potential economic development impacts and quality of life improvements that could be achieved with the Juneau Douglas North Crossing (JDNC). The JDNC was formally proposed in the 1997 West Douglas Conceptual Plan as it became clear that the crossing would offer significant opportunities for economic growth and housing development on North and West Douglas. The West Douglas Conceptual Plan was subsequently adopted into the CBJ Comprehensive Plan in 2013.
In recent years, increased housing scarcity and historic federal investments in transportation infrastructure through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill (BIL) have heightened both the need and the opportunity for the JDNC project.
Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL)
The City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) has partnered with the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF), Southcoast Region to study a possible transportation corridor to connect Juneau with the north end of Douglas Island using the Federal Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) process.
Beginning in the Spring of 2022, the PEL process is using public involvement and technical input to determine the purpose, need, and goals for the project, to determine evaluation criteria, and to invite public feedback for potential crossing alternatives.
Stay updated on the status of the PEL and subscribe to the project mailing list at https://www.jdnorthcrossing.com/
CBJ wants the Right Bridge for Juneau. To that end, it is important that the community stay deeply involved in the alignment identification and selection process.
HOW CAN I STAY INVOLVED? By reviewing materials as they are posted on the CBJ and DOT&PF websites, attending public meetings and open houses, and expressing your views to City Hall.
The Planning & Environmental Linkages (PEL) study is a federally funded project led by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) in cooperation with the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ). The JDNC project has also received over $22 million in federal funding to complete the required environmental analysis, engineering, and design of the project. CBJ anticipates pursuing federal funding support for future phases of the project and acknowledges that this significant investment in Juneau’s future infrastructure will also require local matching funds.
Alaska DOT&PF recently included an estimate of $400M to complete construction of the crossing in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). This amount is a projected estimate that could vary significantly based on the determined alternative. Learn more about the current alternatives here.
Assuring quality, affordable housing for residents has been the Assembly’s top priority for many years, followed closely by economic development and public safety. With limited buildable land on the existing road system, the JDNC offers expanded economic opportunities, including housing development, which is critical to economic growth, jobs, and community resilience. The JNDC also provides for emergency response redundancy in the event of a bridge or road closure. These potential benefits of the JDNC and more were evaluated, documented, and adopted in the 2013 CBJ Comprehensive Plan.
Bridget LaPenter, P.E. – CBJ Project Manager