Egan Drive's winter 45 mph speed limit is now in effect in Juneau through Jan. 31

The speed limit on Juneau's Egan Drive near Fred Meyer is down to 45 mph from 55 for the winter. The lower limit took effect Nov. 1 and runs through Jan. 31, enforced in both directions, according to a state transportation department post that Juneau police shared Tuesday.

The zone runs from Sunny Point past Old Dairy Road and Yandukin Drive to Mendenhall Loop Road.

The Egan-Yandukin intersection carries 30,000 to 40,000 vehicles a day, according to the department. A 2021 state planning study counted 86 crashes there from 2005 to 2017, none fatal. Fifty-two percent happened in November, December and January. The study recommended the winter speed cut.

The department calls the lower limit an interim measure to reduce how severe crashes are. It went first because it could be done quickly and cheaply, without buying land, according to the project page. There have been no crashes with significant injuries at the intersection since the improvements, the department said in its Oct. 21 post.

The longer-term fix is a traffic signal with partial access, dual left-turn lanes from Egan and a street-level pedestrian crossing. A $12.15 million federal grant awarded in July covers the project's full estimated cost. Construction is expected to start in spring 2027, and the department said it will end the winter speed cut once the signal is in place.

Speed limits assume good road conditions, the department reminds drivers. Current conditions are at 511.alaska.gov.