Old Haines Highway sidewalk construction scheduled for this summer has been delayed.
The project would add sidewalks, curb and gutter from Front Street to Third Avenue at an estimated cost of about $1 million, said project manager Keith Karpstein of the state Department of Transportation.
“This is a state-funded project, so that funding, basically, is always available to this project,” Karpstein said. “What happened is that we’re kind of limited with staff over here, so other projects – say, for instance, if they’re federally funded – were absolutely held by certain timelines.”
He said state officials have focused on those projects with firm deadlines, and the Haines sidewalks have been pushed back to 2012.
“We’re on track to actually advertise this fall, so we’ll go ahead and be able to get that work complete early next spring, prior to the cruise ship season,” Karpstein said. “That’s our current goal.”
According to the project description, approximately 2,450 feet of sidewalk would be installed.
“It was only up to the street where Mountain Market is, and we would like to see it go farther as part of our Safe Routes to School program,” said borough facilities director Brad Maynard.
Karpstein said commenters on the project also requested that sidewalk be extended to the school.
“I know that was desirable, but I don’t know if we actually have the allocated monies to bring it up that far,” he said. “That was almost double the scope of the project.”