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Cooper Landing bypass construction resumes this week

Published 10:30 pm Tuesday, April 12, 2022

By Ashlyn O’Hara Peninsula Clarion

An area cleared to make way for the Cooper Landing Bypass project can be seen above the intersection of the Kenai River and Kenai Lake in Cooper Landing, Alaska, on Sept. 6, 2021. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
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An area cleared to make way for the Cooper Landing Bypass project can be seen above the intersection of the Kenai River and Kenai Lake in Cooper Landing, Alaska, on Sept. 6, 2021. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

An area cleared to make way for the Cooper Landing Bypass project can be seen above the intersection of the Kenai River and Kenai Lake in Cooper Landing, Alaska, on Sept. 6, 2021. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
An area cleared to make way for the Cooper Landing Bypass project can be seen above the intersection of the Kenai River and Kenai Lake in Cooper Landing, Alaska, on Sept. 6, 2021. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Construction picked back up on the Cooper Landing Bypass Project this week, and the state is cautioning motorists to be aware of flaggers and delays along the affected portion of the Sterling Highway. Construction on the project paused in October for the winter.

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities shared in a social media update Tuesday that construction season on the Sterling Highway MP 45-60 project, also known as the Cooper Landing Bypass Project, began Monday. Motorists, the department said, should expect single-lane closures between Mileposts 56 and 58 of the Sterling Highway, as well as detour routes and flagging operations.

The project, when completed, will add 10 miles of road starting at about Milepost 46.5 off the Sterling Highway and is meant to reduce congestion through Cooper Landing. The new section of highway will cross Juneau Creek via a steel arch bridge before rejoining the highway around Milepost 56. Construction is already underway, with final completion tentatively scheduled for 2027.

More information about the project can be found at sterlinghighway.net.

Reach reporter Ashlyn O’Hara at ashlyn.ohara@peninsulaclarion.com.

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