JUNEAU, AK — The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) has been awarded an approximately $12.15 million Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the Addressing Safety Priority at Egan Yandukin Intersection project. The federal award covers the full estimated cost of the project.
The project will construct a partial-access signalized intersection with an at-grade pedestrian crossing at the intersection of Egan Drive and Yandukin Drive. The intersection serves 30,000 to 40,000 vehicles per day, with volumes expected to grow by approximately 8,000 vehicles per day as nearby development continues. Southbound drivers turning left currently cross oncoming highway traffic without the aid of a signal, and the intersection offers no safe crossing option for pedestrians or bicyclists.
"This award is a major win for Juneau and for everyone who travels Egan Drive every day,” said Ryan Anderson, DOT&PF Commissioner. “These improvements will reduce serious crashes, provide the first safe pedestrian crossing at this location, and keep traffic moving as the Juneau community grows.”
Funded improvements include:
- A new traffic signal providing protected left turns from Egan Drive onto Yandukin Drive and Glacier Highway
- Dual left-turn lanes from Egan Drive to reduce queuing and delays
- Signalized pedestrian crossings on both sides of Egan Drive and across Yandukin Drive
- Rectangular rapid flashing beacons at unsignalized right-turn lanes
- Advance warning signage with flashing yellow lights to alert drivers approaching a red signal
The project follows a Planning and Environmental Linkages Study completed in 2021, which identified frequent and severe left-turn crashes, a lack of pedestrian access, and local circulation challenges at the intersection. The partially signalized design was selected because it meets safety and mobility goals with a smaller footprint, less right of way acquisition, and a faster construction timeline than other alternatives evaluated.
As an interim safety measure, DOT&PF implemented a seasonal winter speed reduction to 45 mph along the corridor. The reduction will be removed once the traffic signal is in place.
Design work is ongoing. The project is anticipated to bid for construction in fall 2026, with construction beginning in spring 2027. DOT&PF will complete the required federal grant agreement process with the U.S. Department of Transportation before project funds are obligated.
