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A crewman was clearing brush for surveyors, Sowa was told.

The pilot and the logger left soon after and Sowa was able to spend the rest of the weekend enjoying the views of whales, sea lions and the scenic bay.

But the brief interlude with the helicopter - as well as the survey stakes that remained stuck in the ground near the cabin - left Sowa wondering what was going on.

"Are they building the road already?" Sowa asked Tuesday.

The road, of course, is the controversial Juneau access project, planned to link Juneau to a ferry terminal at the Katzehin River that will connect travelers to Haines and Skagway.

A critical milestone could be reached in May, when the state plans to advertise a $70 million to $80 million contract to build 28 miles of road and 10 bridges between Echo Cove and Independence Creek, north of the Kensington Mine.

The contract - just the first phase of the $258 million 50-mile road and ferry project - involves three years of construction. The state hopes to begin work on it in late summer, said Mike Chambers, spokesman for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.

The road won't be open to the public until it is fully built. That means Kensington Mine workers won't be able to use it either until then, Chambers said Tuesday.

This week, the state transportation department hit a snag with Senate budget writers over $45 million of the $55 million it wants to spend on the road in 2006.

The budget question hasn't stopped any of the work already underway, state officials said this week.

On Tuesday, Transportation and Public Facilities Commissioner Mike Barton asked the Senate Finance Committee to restore the $45 million to the state's proposed construction project this year. The committee proposes spending only $25 million.

The Juneau access project also may face a second snag of litigation from its opponents, who claim it doesn't meet Clean Water Act requirements. If they file a lawsuit, they may also request an injunction to stop further road work.

This week, the project's lead engineer said he had to defer Juneau Empire queries about Juneau access to the transportation department spokesman, citing the sensitivity of the road project.

Numerous preroading projects are underway, Chambers said. These include:

• Brush clearing of a 4-foot-wide trail from mile point 53 to 67 along the road's proposed right-of-way. No trees larger than 6 inches in diameter can be cut down at this time.

• Brush clearing for about seven helicopter landing areas in irregular intervals along the upper road route in Lynn Canal.

• Geophysical studies for nine bridges along the road route to find bedrock and determine the weight that soils in the vicinity can withstand.

Other projects that may begin soon include:

• Cruising for timber in the road right-of-way. About 8 miles of the road would travel through forested wetland, and the state eventually plans to log 88 acres. The contract for timber cruising has been awarded and work could begin in May.

• Geotechnical studies for the 22-mile section of road between Independence Creek and the Katzehin River. This project will map surface soils, bedrock and geological hazards along the route. The contract has not been put out to bid yet but it will be soon.

• Right-of-way application to the U.S. Forest Service to allow major construction and logging in the 50-mile road corridor.

The state also has applied for a major Clean Water Act permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The Corps of Engineers permit application was put out for a 30-day comment period ending May 22. The permit would allow the state to discharge 2.9 million cubic yards of fill into roughly 258 acres of waters, including wetlands, stream channels, and other navigable waters.

What Sowa likely saw Saturday was the prep work already underway along the road corridor.

In the future, the road will pass about 200 feet from the Berners Bay Cabin site. State plans call for a new handicap-accessible trail leading from a Berners Bay highway parking area to the cabin.

To make up for the loss of a wilderness experience, the state has agreed to build a wilderness cabin at a more remote location in Berners Bay.

• Elizabeth Bluemink can be reached at elizabeth.bluemink@juneauempire.com.