Soldotna council takes up $961,000 grant to plan K-Beach Road signal and crossing

The Soldotna City Council set a public hearing for Thursday, Nov. 12, on an ordinance putting a $961,000 federal grant toward planning a traffic signal and pedestrian crossing at Arena Avenue and K-Beach Road. As of Friday, the outcome of that hearing was not on the record.

The council introduced the ordinance Oct. 28.

The grant requires no local match and pays for planning, design and engineering, not construction, according to an Oct. 14 memo from Assistant to the City Manager Laura Rhyner. The memo says a signal and better pedestrian facilities at the intersection have long been a city priority. The study would gather the data needed to justify safety improvements, seek input from the public and from stakeholders along the project area and produce designs that would let the city partner with the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities to carry the project to construction.

The state's 2024-2027 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program listed a $2 million signal at the intersection, sponsored by the city and marked "not yet awarded."

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Build America Bureau awarded the money through its Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program for a project called "Soldotna Safe Crossings." The project aims to improve traffic flow and safety and connect drivers, walkers and cyclists with nearby amenities. The program awarded $54.2 million to 49 projects in 25 states on April 6.

A $90,000 master plan for more than 35 acres of city land next to Centennial Park and K-Beach Road will run alongside the crossing study, City Manager Janette Bower said in a Nov. 12 report. The land holds ball fields, the museum and historical society, rodeo grounds and access to the Field House. Preliminary planning starts in winter 2026, followed by a request for proposals.