Longtime Eagle River business owner Gerry Cronquist describes the traffic problems at the intersection of the Old Glenn Highway and Snowmobile Lane to Chris Tiesler from Kittelson and Associates, the firm hired to conduct a study of traffic and circulation in the central business area of Eagle River. Star Photo By DARRELL L. BREESE

The intersection of the Old Glenn Highway and Snowmobile Lane, Rachel Avenue, Farm Avenue, Monte Road and Business Boulevard are among the worst to navigate in the central business district of Eagle River, according to a survey of area residents.

The list doesn't end there, either. The Artillery Road and Old Glenn Interchange was called the worst intersection in town.

The lack of safe crosswalks for pedestrians and secondary street access to local businesses were also listed as problems during a public meeting held Jan. 28 to discuss the Central Business District Traffic Circulation Study that is being conducted by the municipality of Anchorage.

"Traffic in Eagle River is not what it used to be," said study director Phill Wurth. "And if the projections are accurate, things will get worse unless something is done to identify the problem areas and offer solutions."

According to Wurth, modeling forecasts that traffic will more than double in Eagle River by 2027.

"Our goal is to identify problem areas and develop a set of implementable transportation solutions that will provide immediate and long-term benefits to downtown Eagle River," Wurth said.

Local residents and business owners came forward with a broad spectrum of circulation problem areas and some forward-thinking solutions.

Local developer Jose Vicente suggested two of the most dramatic changes, calling for new connectivity with the Glenn Highway to service central Eagle River.

"We should put in an overpass and connection at the end of Farm Avenue," he said. "That will bring people right into the heart of the community and address the problem at the South Eagle River overpass and Artillery Road."

Vicente also recommended a new interchange on the Glenn Highway at South Eagle River, calling for a cloverleaf overpass to replace the existing interchange.

Gerry Cronquist, longtime owner of Team CC on the North side of Eagle River, spoke of the problem customers have accessing her business on Snowmobile Lane.

"Getting in is not as difficult as getting out onto the Old Glenn Highway," she said. We're so close to the traffic light that it is sometimes impossible to turn left from Snowmobile onto the Old Glenn. I'm sure the same problem exists across the street at Rachel."

Cronquist suggested a possible solution would be the elimination of right turn on a red light onto the Old Glenn from North Eagle River Access Road and adding an additional left hand turn lane from the Old Glenn onto North Eagle River Access Road.

"This is the kind of input we want," Wurth said. "We can study traffic volume with machines, but hearing from the people where the problem areas are will result in a better final project and sound recommendations for the future."

Others expressed concern for pedestrians crossing the Old Glenn.

The public can continue to weigh in on the topic through an online survey until Feb. 15. To take the survey visit www.muni.org/Departments/traffic/AMATS/Pages/EagleRiverCBD.aspx.

Vicente applauded the efforts to identify current traffic and circulation issues in the central business area, but he cautioned study officials to not limit their focus to present needs and problem areas.

"It would be a mistake to arrive at conclusions and recommendations on a traffic study that is supposed to address not only the immediate needs of the community, but also its future needs, based strictly on present-day data," he said. "Traffic projections need to be based on the full development of the community. These projections must be performed to arrive at proper conclusions."

Wurth said he is reviewing long-term projections for both traffic and community growth.

"Our goal is to have an implementation plan that describes projects and their benefits," he said. "Both to address today's problems and for the future."

Wurth added that he hopes to have a final set of recommendations by the end of May.

The study and pending recommendations are of interest to Sen. Fred Dyson, according to his chief of staff Chuck Kopp, who attended the meeting.

"The senator wants to know what projects will be recommended and how much they will cost," Kopp said. "He's eager to begin working to secure the money needed to make them become a reality."

Reach the reporter at darrell.breese.@alaskastar.com.

This article published in The Alaska Star on Thursday, February 4, 2010.