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Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities

CENTRAL REGION
You are here: DOT&PF >  Central Region > Projects > Glenn-Hiland Road Interchange Improvements

Project # CFHWY00917 / Federal # 0A16055

 

Project Description

The State of Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) plans to improve the Glenn Highway and Hiland Road (Glenn-Hiland) Interchange in the Eagle River community. The existing interchange at Glenn Highway and Eagle River Loop Road (ERLR) has long been a bottleneck during morning commute hour, causing significant delays and frustrations for travelers heading southbound toward Anchorage.

The purpose of the project is to improve operations, capacity, and safety for motorized and non-motorized users. The primary objectives to meet the purpose of the project include the following:

  • Enhanced Highway Merging: Improve the efficiency of highway merging and lane utilization to alleviate congestion during peak morning hours.
  • Queuing Issues Mitigation: Address queuing issues at the Wolf Den Drive intersection, east of the interchange, to minimize traffic backups and delays.
  • Maintenance Improvements: Provide design solutions for the maintenance and administration of the existing bridge, ensuring it remains functional and structurally sound.
The project will evaluate alternatives to make short-term improvements at the Glenn Highway and Hiland Road interchange while maintaining the existing bridge over the highway.

Project Area

Project History

Originally designed as a Hiland Road access point to the Glenn Highway, the interchange underwent a transformation in 1975 as part of a broader initiative to extend ERLR from Driftwood Bay Drive to the Glenn Highway. The 1988 Eagle River Loop to Hiland Road Connection Location and Design Study Report outlined plans for the Hiland Road access to serve as a local entry point to the Glenn Highway, while the ERLR was intended to connect through a directional interchange to the south. This interchange was envisioned to handle the substantial traffic generated by the new connection in anticipation of a future project. However, the directional interchange has yet to be implemented, leading ERLR traffic to use the Hiland Road interchange for travel between Anchorage and the Glenn Highway.

The interchange's bridge initially featured two 12-foot lanes with 2-foot shoulders. In the 1990s, it underwent expansion, increasing its width by nearly 25 feet to accommodate three 14-foot lanes and a paved pedestrian pathway on the north, measuring 11.5 feet. This widening project aimed to improve pedestrian safety while crossing the Glenn Highway and to address the growing traffic from Eagle River and sizable trucks entering the Anchorage Regional Landfill.

 

The environmental review, consultation, and other actions required by applicable Federal environmental laws for this project are being, or have been, carried out by DOT&PF pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327 and a Memorandum of Understanding dated April 13, 2023, and executed by FHWA and DOT&PF.

No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. Full Title VI Nondiscrimination Policy: dot.alaska.gov/tvi_statement.shtml. To file a complaint, go to: dot.alaska.gov/cvlrts/titlevi.shtml.

DOT&PF complies with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Individuals with disabilities who need auxiliary aids, services, and/or special modifications should contact DOT&PF Public Involvement Representative at (907) 562-2000 or via a Telephone Device for the Deaf (TDD) at 711.

 

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