The Ketchikan City Council will talk Thursday about the Alaska Department of Transportation’s proposed redesign of Front, Mill and Stedman streets, which make up the primary corridor running through Ketchikan’s downtown.
According to a memo from Assistant City Manager David Martin, two DOT representatives will attend Thursday’s regular Council meeting to answer questions and hear comments about the plan, which would reduce the overall road width along Front Street by 7 feet in some areas, and 3 feet in others.
That reduction would allow for a wider sidewalk, to accommodate the thousands of cruise passengers that crowd into Ketchikan’s downtown core each summer.
An earlier plan called for removing the middle lane on Front Street, except for a short left-turn lane for the Mission Street intersection. Now, the plan maintains a middle southbound lane until the Mission Street intersection.
After that, the road would have two lanes — one southbound and one northbound — as it rounds the curve and becomes Mill Street, although there would be a dedicated left turn lane from Mill onto Bawden Street.
The roadway on Mill Street also would be narrowed, but only by 2 feet. Again, that would allow for a wider sidewalk. The plan also would add Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant curb ramps, and would reduce overall parking along Front and Mill streets by three spaces.
Stedman Street’s overall configuration would not change.
Also Thursday, the City Council will consider a request from OceansAlaska for relief from electrical charges to the shellfish-seed facility totaling about $16,500.
An executive session at the end of the meeting has been scheduled for the Council to consider potential litigation related to the cruise ship Infinity’s June 3 collision with Berth 3.
Thursday’s meeting starts at 7 p.m. in City Council chambers.
Public comment will be heard at the start of the meeting.
