After panning the Haines Highway expansion project last year, the federal National Marine Fisheries Service has determined the state has made enough changes to its design plan to get the green light.
The Department of Transportation last week released its 500-page Final Essential Fish Habitat Assessment for the Haines Highway project, which identifies a new alignment that maintains the road’s existing curvature in several sections and reduces the amount of passing zones to avoid fish habitat.
The new design responds to critical comments DOT received after releasing its draft environmental assessment last year, including from NMFS and local conservation organizations including Takshanuk Watershed Council and Lynn Canal Conservation.
The initial design proposal called for 23.6 acres of the 248.4 acres of wetlands in the project area to be filled. The revised design plans for 22.2 acres to be filled.
DOT spokesperson Jeremy Woodrow said fill will still be used in some areas but the project’s mitigation efforts will result in a net gain of one mile of new or repaired fish habitat.
“The end result is actually an improved environment,” Woodrow said.
This will be accomplished through replacement of culverts, creation of woody debris areas upstream of large rocks, and construction of new and improved streams.
The project aims to bring the highway from Mile 3.5 to 25.3 up to design standards by straightening curves, increasing sight distances and widening shoulders.
The project also will replace the bridge at 25 Mile and address slides near Miles 19 and 23.
In its earlier comments to DOT, NMFS stated DOT’s original design would have “substantial and permanent” adverse effects on essential fish habitat along the river.
In a letter included in the recently released final essential fish habitat assessment, NMFS stated DOT’s changes were “responsive” to the agency’s concerns.
“NMFS acknowledges that the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities has designed the project to minimize impacts to essential fish habitat, and taken measures to mitigate impacts to essential fish habitat,” the letter states. “Therefore, NMFS considers essential fish habitat consultation for the project to be complete.”
“That means they believe we did our due diligence in addressing their concerns,” Woodrow said.
Takshanuk Watershed Council executive director Meredith Pochardt said the organization hasn’t had time to comb through the entire 500-page document yet, but will make sure the new design addresses concerns expressed by the group last year.
Woodrow said DOT intends to open a public comment period on the new environmental assessment in 2015 after additional documents and studies are released.
Construction would begin during the summer of 2016, at the earliest, Woodrow said. DOT has spent about $7 million on environmental and design work to date.