Work at Trunk Road intersection brings delays as crews prep for weeks-long summer closure

What you need to know:

• Traffic delays and lane closures are underway at Palmer-Fishhook and Trunk roads through at least Oct. 25 as crews relocate utilities in preparation for a major roundabout project that will close the intersection and trigger detours for two weeks next summer.
• The $5.65 million project is scheduled to begin next summer and includes widening the intersection and installing a one-lane roundabout designed to improve safety and traffic flow.
• Drivers should expect backups Monday through Saturday over the next three weeks. Specific dates for the roundabout construction have not yet been announced.

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PALMER – Mat-Su drivers should expect major delays at the intersection of Palmer-Fishhook and Trunk roads over the coming weeks as crews prepare for construction that will bring weeks of full road closures and miles-long detours to the area next summer, state transportation officials said. 

Crews are using heavy machinery over the next three weeks to relocate a series of utilities around the intersection, with flaggers halting traffic to allow trucks to move in and out of the area, officials said. Construction will run Monday through Saturday until at least Oct. 25, they said.

The work is part of a project set for early next summer that will widen the intersection and install a roundabout to help smooth the flow of traffic, according to the project website.

An average of 6,300 drivers pass through the intersection daily, according to 2024 state traffic data.

Construction and flagging in the area began Monday morning, triggering long delays and standstill traffic during the evening commute. 

Signs warning of upcoming work started about a half-mile before the work zone, even as backups Monday stretched for miles down Palmer-Fishhook and about a mile south on Trunk Road. A resident whose driveway connects to the work zone said she received no notice warning her about the utility work.

Monday evening’s delays were caused by heavier-than-expected rush hour traffic, Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities spokesman Justin Shelby said in an email. Crews are expected to pause work during high-traffic periods moving forward, he said.

“We’re placing additional signage and are asking the contractor to prioritize clearing Trunk Road during rush hour. We will be monitoring traffic flow and making adjustments as necessary to keep delays to a minimum,” he said.

Mobile signs seen Wednesday warned drivers to expect daily delays.

State contractor QAP is overseeing the $5.65 million project, Shelby said. 

The planned roundabout will be one lane wide and include a center median designed for large trucks to drive over as they pass through, according to project design documents.

The work will require about a two-week closure at the intersection, with traffic from a nearly 7-mile section of Palmer-Fishhook detoured to other routes, Shelby said.

The nearest alternative primary access to areas around the Palmer-Fishhook and Trunk Road intersection is via the Glenn Highway, about 2.5 miles southeast, and via Wasilla-Fishhook Road, about 4.5 miles north. Using either detour could add nearly 10 miles to some trips.

The planned roundabout is designed to improve safety on the corridor, which is often icy in winter. The intersection is the site of regular crashes as vehicles turn from the Trunk Road stop sign into flowing traffic, according to borough crash data. Crashes at in the area are over three times higher than the statewide average for similar intersection types, the project website states.

The roundabout construction is scheduled for early next summer, Shelby said. Specific dates have not yet been identified.

-- Contact Amy Bushatz at contact@matsusentinel.com