My Turn: Winter driving near Sunny Point construction
In the Juneau Empire on Oct. 5, Steve Wolf prepared an article titled "Coming Highway Disaster" detailing concerns about winter driving on Egan Drive near the Sunny Point construction zone. On behalf of the Southeast region of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, I would like to respond.
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Since My Turns are limited and I cannot repeat Wolf's concerns by item, I ask the reader to refer to his questions while reading this response.
First, let me say that Wolf is not the only individual who has asked questions about winter maintenance. The region has, on the department's Web site, placed project updates with regard to construction and maintenance on Sunny Point. In fact, the city of Juneau has picked up these releases and also placed them on their Web site. Thank you, Juneau, we appreciate that. Additionally, project personnel, senior management, and this writer have spoken before various interest groups on this project. The presentations included construction, final appearance, as well as winter maintenance.
To respond to Wolf's (and I am sure others') concerns, the following is submitted:
1. There will be a shared responsibility in winter project area maintenance. The department will be responsible for all snow and ice removal. Our contractor, Secon, will be responsible for all other items of maintenance including but not limited to, drainage and drainage control. Secon is planning to work until December if winter weather allows. They will not rock haul during adverse conditions.
The department has set priorities for Egan Drive snow removal and throughout this community. Two plow trucks are assigned to Egan Drive and they do plow in coordination (tandem).
2. The department has a winter maintenance crew working 24 hours a day, seven days a week during winter snow and or icing months. This is a small crew with all maintenance personnel on call during heavy snow or icing conditions. We make every effort to have our vehicles ready and available to operate at all times by keeping them inside and well maintained.
3. Chemicals are used on Egan Drive for ice control with the addition of sand for additional traction at intersections. In this instance, the department has acquired additional chemicals to place on this segment of Egan Drive during wet and or icy conditions.
At this time, we have scheduled a winter maintenance workshop between our Egan Drive contractor, our maintenance and operations division, our construction division and Juneau Police Department for Monday. JPD is included in this meeting for not only traffic speed control, but also for emergency condition advice.
4. The department will, at their next meeting, consider various procedures during the rush hour periods to provide for emergency events, accidents that might occur, and methods of rapid response to clear out traffic lanes. Reviews and suggestions by JPD and other emergency providers concerning access by emergency vehicles are paramount.
5. Beyond November and during snow conditions, it is very doubtful that Secon will do truck hauling. Safety is of concern to the contractor as it is to all citizens of Juneau. Secon may work on other aspects of the project such as continuing bridge construction. This would be away from the public travel way.
6. Other items that will be discussed by the department during our upcoming winter maintenance meetings include, but are not limited to, additional lighting, lane screening, additional reflectors on jersey barriers, signage, reader board messages, and early snow blow turning movements.
The department has designed this project so that construction can be accomplished while traffic is minimally impacted during construction. As such, we have only slowed traffic to 45 mph in the construction zone. However, safe driving conditions prevail. If or during snow and ice periods, drivers are advised to use caution, remember that 45 mph is the maximum speed limit, not the minimum.
If readers still have questions, please review our Web site literature on the Sunny Point Project, it will be updated after the upcoming meeting. Questions can be addressed to the writer at anytime.
• Malcolm A. Menzies is a Juneau resident and the Southeast regional director for the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.