By Sentinel Staff
The manner in which inbound traffic on Sawmill Creek Road can access DeGroff Street has changed.
The City and Borough of Sitka Public Works Department, with approval of the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, made the announcement on Friday.
Vehicles entering DeGroff Street now must turn right past the gravel island at the Halibut Point Road-DeGroff Street Y. That had been a one-way, exit-only lane for DeGroff traffic entering Sawmill Creek Road. Traffic may not cross the new “fog line” painted through the previous entrance to DeGroff Street, to the east of the gravel island, the city said.
Traffic entering DeGroff Street will have the right-of-way relative to traffic on DeGroff. The city said it will remove the orange barriers and install flexible delineators and new street signs to complete the reconfiguration.
Traffic exiting DeGroff must also use the route west of the gravel island.
The new traffic pattern will mimic the proposed reconfiguration of the intersection by ADOT&PF, scheduled for 2021. The department proposed to convert the “island” to a “peninsula,” which will reduce the speed of inbound SMC traffic entering DeGroff, a busy residential street, the city said in a press release.
Call Public Works at 747-1804 with any questions.
Diagram of the new traffic pattern at Sawmill Creek Road and DeGroff Street. (Graphic provided)
