Enrolled SR 2: Supporting the efforts of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities to improve transportation to and from Juneau and supporting development of the East Lynn Canal Highway.
00Enrolled SR 2 01 Supporting the efforts of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities to improve 02 transportation to and from Juneau and supporting development of the East Lynn Canal 03 Highway. 04 _______________ 05 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE: 06 WHEREAS Juneau is the largest community on the North American continent not 07 connected to the continental highway system; and 08 WHEREAS, because of its location and lack of highway access, all freight, vehicle, 09 and passenger movement to and from Juneau is by air or sea; and 10 WHEREAS the Juneau Access Improvements Project is to provide improved 11 transportation to and from Juneau within the Lynn Canal corridor; and 12 WHEREAS the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities studied 13 multiple alternatives, including increased ferry service, to fulfill the National Environmental 14 Policy Act requirements; and 15 WHEREAS the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities and the 16 Federal Highway Administration issued a draft environmental impact statement for the Juneau
01 Access Improvement Project in June 1997; and 02 WHEREAS, following review and consideration of the public and agency comments 03 received on the draft environmental impact statement, Governor Tony Knowles announced in 04 that Alternative 2, the East Lynn Canal Highway with Katzehin Terminal, was the 05 preferred alternative for the proposed project; and 06 WHEREAS the East Lynn Canal Highway would provide the greatest increase in 07 flexibility and opportunity for travel; and 08 WHEREAS the East Lynn Canal Highway would have the lowest maintenance and 09 operating cost of all alternatives; and 10 WHEREAS the East Lynn Canal Highway would have the lowest out-of-pocket cost 11 for travelers of all project alternatives; and 12 WHEREAS the East Lynn Canal Highway would eliminate 186 miles from the 13 Alaska marine highway route, allowing ferries to be utilized on other routes in Southeast 14 Alaska; and 15 WHEREAS the East Lynn Canal Highway would allow access to the Kensington 16 Mine; and 17 WHEREAS the East Lynn Canal Highway would provide an alternative to the all- 18 marine transport of goods into Juneau; and 19 WHEREAS the East Lynn Canal Highway would provide Juneau with an emergency 20 evacuation alternative; and 21 WHEREAS the East Lynn Canal Highway would open up an entire region to 22 recreation and tourism, which would result in economic development of benefit to all 23 Alaskans; 24 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Senate supports the Department of 25 Transportation and Public Facilities' efforts to improve transportation to and from Juneau 26 within Lynn Canal; and be it 27 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Senate supports the Juneau Access 28 Preferred Alternative 2, the East Lynn Canal Highway with Katzehin Terminal. 29 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Ted Stevens and the 30 Honorable Lisa Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. 31 Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress; the Honorable Frank H.
01 Murkowski, Governor of Alaska; the Honorable Mike Barton, Commissioner, Department of 02 Transportation and Public Facilities; and Reuben Yost, Department of Transportation and 03 Public Facilities.