Juneau Douglas North Crossing – Draft Level 2 screening results
The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF), Southcoast Region Office presented a summary of the 2023 fieldwork studies and preliminary results of the Level 2 screening process conducted as part of the Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) process for the Juneau Douglas North Crossing in facilitated meetings with the PEL’s Joint Technical and Stakeholder Advisory Committee.
A summary presentation on the Draft Level 2 Screening results will be delivered at the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) Public Works and Facility Committee (PWFC) meeting on March 11 at 12:10 p.m. in Assembly Chambers or via Zoom (juneau.zoom.us/j/91849897300 or dial 1-669-900-6833 with Webinar ID 918 4989 7300).
“The Juneau Douglas North Crossing is a significant investment in the safety, resilience and economic future of our city,” explained CBJ City Manager Katie Koester. “We want to be confident that any selected alternatives are vetted through a robust public and technical review process. We appreciate that the PEL study continues to allow opportunities for all community members to provide their input on this critical project.”
The City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) has partnered with the DOT&PF to study a possible transportation corridor to connect Juneau with the north end of Douglas Island using the PEL study process. A connection has been studied since the 1980s but previously had not progressed beyond the identification and recommendation of preliminary alternative alignments.
Beginning in the Spring of 2022, the PEL process used 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.
DOT&PF, Southcoast Region Office facilitated in person and virtual meetings of the Joint Technical and Stakeholder Advisory Committee as part of the next phase of the Juneau Douglas North Crossing (JDNC) Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study on March 7. The Committee reviewed and discussed results from the Level 2 screening process applied to the crossing alternatives advanced from previous phases of the PEL study. Level 2 screening provides a comparative evaluation and ranking of the crossing alternatives using a broad range of qualitative and quantitative criteria. The analyses conducted may be incorporated into a future National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process.
DOT&PF Southcoast Director Christopher Goins stated, “This is a community-driven project, and the Department is committed to a judicious evaluation of the potential project alternatives. In the late Spring/early Summer of 2024, the Department will issue a draft PEL report that incorporates our consultant’s work and the community’s feedback. There will be a public comment period and public meetings to gather feedback at that next stage.”
For more information on the Juneau Douglas North Crossing PEL Study or to sign up for the project mailing list, visit the project website at jdnorthcrossing.com. Or contact DOT&PF Project Manager Greg Lockwood at [email protected] or (907) 465-2393 or CBJ Project Manager Bridget LaPenter at [email protected] or (907) 586-0800 ext. 4187.