July 12, 2009
Sunday

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) has released a new estimate for the Juneau Access Project. The new estimate updates the cost required to complete the East Lynn Canal Highway with Katzehin shuttle system along with an estimate prepared by the Western Federal Lands Highway Division of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Both estimates are based on additional design work done in late 2008.

DOT&PF's new estimate of the cost to complete the project is $449 million and the Western Federal Land estimate for the road, with required additional engineering, ferry and terminal costs is $491 million.

The two estimates provide a range of costs that are within 10% of each other. This is not considered to be a significant difference according to a news release from the Alaska Department of Transportation, as both estimates reflect an increase in costs due to general increases in construction prices as well as the costs for two short tunnel segments and additional bridges that were not in previous estimates.

Information on the methodology and unit cost for both estimates can be found in the report titled "Juneau Access Improvements 2009 FFY Cost Report" that is posted on DOT&PF's Juneau Access web site at www.dot.alaska.gov/juneauaccess/.

No further design work will be done on this project until the 9th Circuit Court rules on the State's appeal of the need to conduct additional studies.

Source of News:

Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF)
www.dot.state.ak.us

 

SitNews ©2009
Stories In The News
Ketchikan, Alaska