FAMILY FUN – Crystal Johns holds her son Zayne , 2, as  she follows her son Ezekiel, 4,  up an inflatable slide Saturday at Xoots Elementary School during the annual Spring Carnival. The event included games, prizes, cotton candy, and karaoke. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)

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Daily Sitka Sentinel

Drive to Put Lights At Crosswalk Gets Close

By SHANNON HAUGLAND

Sentinel Staff Writer

It’s taking a little longer than the city expected to receive the final go-ahead from the state to install flashing beacons at the Halibut Point Road and Peterson Street crosswalk.

But the process is slowly winding down, with state officials expecting to approve a right-of-way encroachment permit by the end of next week.

“We’re making sure all applicable information is included, all our concerns are included, and all the responsibilities and maintenance requirements are included,” said Emily Haynes, right-of-way agent for the Alaska Department of Transportation.

The encroachment permit is needed because the city plans to install the beacons on state property.

 

Once in place, the beacons will allow pedestrians to signal they plan to cross by pressing a button at either side of the highway crosswalk at Peterson Street. Pressing the button will trigger the solar-powered flashing lights to alert motorists. The city has installed similar devices at two Edgecumbe Drive intersections near Keet Gooshi Heen Elementary.

The local Girl Scouts led the fundraising effort for the Peterson Street beacons because of a number of accidents involving vehicles and pedestrians and bike riders at that location. The state is planning a more elaborate improvement for 2018, which will include building a safety island in the middle of Halibut Point Road.

The state initially wouldn’t authorize for the flasher project, but later agreed to allow it to go forward, with funding and engineering work provided by the community.

The state also required the city to obtain a stamp from an engineer with a speciality in traffic issues, and that requirement was fulfilled last month.

City of Sitka Senior Engineer Dave Longtin said he had expected the project to be in place by now, but didn’t know exactly how long the process would take.

“It’s really the only piece of paperwork from the Department of Transportation we need to execute this work,” he said.

Haynes said she’s finishing the final steps, making sure different sections at the Department of Transportation have had a chance to weigh in.

“This is not a common permit,” she said. “Encroachment permits are common but this isn’t a common thing.”

After Haynes has completed her review, paperwork will be sent to Sitka for final signatures, then back to DOT for the permit.

 

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20 YEARS AGO

April 2004

Photo  caption: Sen. Lisa Murkowski talks with students in Karoline Bekeris’ fourth-grade class Thursday at the Westmark Shee Atika. From left are Murkowski, Kelsey Boussom, Laura Quinn and Memito Diaz.

50 YEARS AGO

April 1974

A medley of songs from “Jesus Christ Superstar” will highlight the morning worship service on Palm Sunday at the United Methodist Church.  Musicians will be Paige Garwood and Karl Hartman on guitars; Dan Goodness on organ; and Gayle Erickson on drums.

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