What is the Juneau Road/Ferry Mega-Project? The Murkowski Administration revived an earlier proposal to link Juneau to Haines or Skagway (both communities have road connections to the Al-Can Highway) by road rather than by the existing ferry system; in 2005, the federal government required that the last 18 miles be by ferry. The Juneau Road/Ferry project would consist of 50 miles of new road from Echo Cove approximately 40 miles north of Juneau to the Katzehin River via the east side of Lynn Canal, a new ferry terminal at the river 90 miles from Juneau, and new shuttle ferries to Haines and Skagway. The project is considered a “mega-project” because it will cost approximately one-half billion dollars,¹ i.e., vastly more than most Alaska road projects and because it qualifies for the maximum level of federal oversight of state expenditures. The state has spent $25 million to date on the project, and all necessary permits have been issued. On February 13, 2009, however, federal Judge John Sedwick of the Alaska District Court ruled that the existing Environmental Impact Statement is inadequate because it did not analyze enhanced ferry service, and thus must be revised which calls all issued permits into question. The state is appealing this decision to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals; the federal government will not join the appeal. Despite the unlikelihood of complete project construction, in December 2009 Governor Parnell announced he would spend $5 million to upgrade the first 3 miles of the road beyond Echo Cove using previously appropriated state funds.

Why is the Juneau Road/Ferry Mega-Project a Bad Idea?  There are many urgent statewide transportation needs which will be cancelled, scaled back, or delayed because of the expensive Juneau Road/Ferry project. At this point, the project has only approximately $60 mill. in federal and state funding ($25 mill. spent); sources for the remaining $340 mill. have not been identified, and federal funding is projected to be in a steep decline. Federal transportation dollars potentially used on this project could instead address the enormous statewide road and bridge maintenance backlog and upgrade roads and bridges that will carry materials for the proposed North Slope natural gas pipeline. State general funds not used on the project could pay for education, municipal revenue sharing, and other purposes.

What is Needed? The Parnell Administration and the legislature should not allow the project to begin construction until they adequately assess the project’s fiscal and other concerns.  This requires:
1)A comprehensive analysis showing where the funds for the project will come from and what state transportation needs will not be met should the project be funded, 2) An independent cost estimate that fully analyzes the costs to address Zone 4's 22 miles of geotechnical hazards. Such an analysis will identify financial risks to the state due to design and construction unknowns and uncertainties. The December 2006 Golder Associates report on Zone 4,² though incomplete, shows numerous, serious road hazards  that will be costly to address, and
3) Strong consideration of reallocating the $35 million in remaining funds to the ferry system.

Won’t the Project Help Constituents Access the Capitol?  No. The project will not increase constituent access because several days of winter driving would be needed in each direction from Alaska’s population centers with over one month of anticipated road closures each year.³  Flying to Juneau is likely to remain the preferred option for Alaskans seeking to speak directly with legislators and staff, and a November 2007 poll confirmed this.⁴  Better, cheaper ways to enhance access include increasing the number of field hearings, web posting of hearing handouts, and improving visual telecommunications with Juneau in Legislative Information Offices.

Downloads regarding the Golder Associates Report:

ATPP Press Release: February 8, 2007 (MSWord Doc)

ATTP Report Analysis ( MS Word Doc)

The entire report is available as a VERY LARGE ( over 200 MB ) download on the AK DOT web site. There is also an option for a smaller download of selected portions of the report at the above link.