Road Service Area reports modest FY‑26 budget change; pilots calcium chloride treatment to reduce grading

The Kenai Peninsula Borough Road Service Area presented its FY‑26 budget and work plan on May 19, reporting a modest net change from FY‑25 and previewing a list of capital projects and pilot treatments intended to reduce recurring maintenance.

Director Dil Yulin told the assembly the RSA maintains roughly 650 miles of road — about 98% gravel — and relies on a mix of contracting and in‑house work. The proposed FY‑26 budget showed a small overall increase below 1%, with a capital pipeline that includes bridge work, gravel overlays and $500,000 in gravel capital improvements.

Yulin described a field test of calcium chloride for high‑traffic roads and intersections that produced reduced grading needs; on the pilot route crews reported that the treated road required only a single grading since placement. He said the RSA will expand that treatment on other high‑traffic segments and prioritize engineering work for bridges identified in a recent borough‑wide bridge assessment.

The RSA is also pursuing tools such as Trimble grade‑measuring units to verify grade and gravel depth on in‑house projects, a step Yulin said could save tens of thousands of dollars annually by reducing outside survey needs.

Assembly members asked about enforcement of right‑of‑way encroachments and abandoned vehicles; Yulin said the RSA is refining impound and enforcement procedures, but recent theft and vandalism at the impound lot has limited towing operations until security and legal questions are resolved.

No binding actions were taken at the session; members requested follow‑up on the bridge priority list and further detail on gravel CIP allocations.