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

Soldotna is moving to spend a $961,000 federal grant planning a traffic signal and pedestrian crossing at Arena Avenue and K-Beach Road, something the city has wanted for years.

The City Council had a public hearing scheduled Thursday on putting the money to use. The outcome hadn't been posted as of Friday.

The grant pays for planning, design and engineering, not construction, and the city doesn't have to put up any of its own money, according to an Oct. 14 city memo. 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, ask the public and stakeholders along the project area for input, and produce designs the city could use to partner with the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities to move the project toward construction.

The state already has the intersection on its list. Its current transportation plan includes a $2 million signal there, sponsored by the city and marked "not yet awarded."

The money comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program, for a project called "Soldotna Safe Crossings." It 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 in April.

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