Fairbanks transportation board to vote on three roundabout projects May 20

The Fairbanks Area Surface Transportation Planning Policy Board will vote May 20 on three roundabout projects under the Highway Safety Improvement Program: Airport Way Connected Corridor, Chena Small Tracts Roundabout Construction, and Badger Road Roundabouts.

The meeting runs from noon to 2 p.m. at the FAST Planning Office, 100 Cushman Street, Suite 215, Fairbanks. Residents can also attend online at www.fastplanning.us/keepup/zoom.

The Chena Small Tracts Roundabout project would construct a single-lane roundabout at the intersection of Chena Pump Road, Chena Small Tracts Road, and Old Chena Ridge Road. According to ADOT&PF materials, the roundabout is intended to improve safety and reduce side-road wait times, and is considered a safer solution than a four-way stop or traffic signal at that intersection.

Alaska News previously reported that FAST Planning has been discussing roundabout locations on Badger Road. In January 2025, the board discussed Highway Safety Improvement Program priorities on Badger Road, with the Montgomery/Holmes/Badger intersection identified as a potential site if a roundabout is pursued. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities operates under a Roundabouts First policy that requires consideration of roundabouts before other intersection improvements on safety projects.

The board will also consider alternatives for the Chena Riverwalk Stage III project, an update to the Metropolitan Planning Area boundary, and a modification to the 2023-27 Transportation Improvement Program. A fifth item addresses park improvements on 5th Avenue in North Pole.

For more information, contact Jackson Fox, FAST Planning Executive Director, at [email protected] or 907-205-4276.