Work on the Douglas Highway Water Main Replacement Project will be concentrated near the roundabout and Cordova Street starting either Friday or Saturday morning. With traffic potentially backing up into the roundabout and across the bridge, drivers may experience longer than usual delays during high volume times.

City and Borough of Juneau contractor Admiralty Construction has been working on a water main replacement project since June. Traffic will be reduced to one lane through the work zone for most of the day, though Admiralty will continue to make two lanes open to vehicles until 8:15 a.m. and again from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Admiralty Construction works from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Drivers are asked to please watch for workers and equipment.

For more information on the Douglas Highway water main replacement project, contact CBJ Engineer Alan Steffert at 586-0481 or [email protected].

The City and Borough of Juneau is installing a rainbow crosswalk at the intersection of Front and Main streets in Downtown Juneau as part of the Rainbow Crosswalk Pilot Program. The first three colors were painted early this morning. For the pilot program, CBJ is working with a community group, which is funding the entire cost of the crosswalk.

“I kind of teared up this morning when I took pictures of the first colors. I’m feeling proud of the people who came together and persevered to actually see paint on the ground. I can’t wait to take my kids by it. I’m excited and proud that we can see this installation every day that celebrates the strength and diversity of our community,” Steve SueWing, coordinator of the Rainbow Crosswalk Working Group, said.

The working group was formed last summer. The estimated cost of installing the crosswalk is $3,000, SueWing says. The group is fundraising for $10,000 total for the initial installation as well as maintenance for the next three years. People can also donate directly to the Juneau Arts & Humanities Council, the fiscal sponsor of the project. Following the pilot program, SueWing hopes other groups in the community will take over financial responsibility of maintaining the crosswalk.

The crosswalk will be comprised of rainbow stripes between two white lateral lines, allowing it to remain compliant with the federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. The paint for the rainbow colors is water-based so completion of the crosswalk is weather-dependent, but it’s anticipated to be finished by the end of the week.

For more information, contact Engineering & Public Works Director Mike Vigue at 586-0800 or [email protected].

To help alleviate the issue of pedestrians walking in the roadway during the busy summer season, stanchions are being installed along a short section of South Franklin Street from Manila Square to the crosswalk directly across from the Archipelago lot.

This is a project of the City and Borough of Juneau, in coordination with Tourism Best Management Practices (TBMP). The goal is to improve pedestrian safety and vehicle flow through the South Franklin corridor by restricting pedestrians from crossing the street outside of marked crosswalks. If successful, the bollards with connecting chain may be extended along both sides of South Franklin Street in a future pedestrian corridor improvement project.

The stanchions will be installed on a seasonal basis only. They will be removed at the end of the tourist season (around October 1), and be reinstalled for the next season around May 15. CBJ has obtained a Special Use Permit for this improvement from the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities since this section of South Franklin Street is within the state’s Right of Way.

For more information, contact CBJ Engineer Lori Sowa at 586-0875 or TBMP Coordinator Kirby Day at 907-364-7250.