Nordic-Haugen road project to begin soon

The first phase of the $8.6 million Nordic-Haugen road project is expected to kick off soon with utility work.

Originally slated to begin in the summer of 2014, the project was pushed back to this spring with the construction bid recently awarded to Secon, of Juneau, according to Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities spokesman Jeremy Woodrow.

“We’ve actually combined four projects into one,” he noted.

It’s to be a two season project, with an expected completion date of fall 2016.

Phase one will see utility work, consisting of waterline and sewer main labor, completed on Nordic Drive from Wesley Street to Haugen Drive, much in conjunction with city work, Woodrow said.

Other phases will include sewer line work on Nordic Drive; pavement resurfacing and draining work from Nordic and Haugen to the ferry terminal; and improving Haugen Drive with the reconstruction of sidewalks and a bike path.

“A lot of the project is just updating” what Petersburg already has, Woodrow said.

The majority of the project is being paid for by the Federal Highway Administration. The state pays 10 percent.

Petersburg drivers can expect some delays throughout the course of the project, but Woodrow added that Secon will likely wrap up the utility work by June to minimize summer traffic disruption.