Spenard Road Reconstruction Project

Background.

Spenard Road is one of the oldest roads in Anchorage. Its curving shape reflects its history as the trail from what is now downtown to the airport. Spenard is now a busy, business-lined urban minor arterial street. In the past two decades, it has consistently had a high rate of vehicle and vehicle/pedestrian/bike crashes. In 2000, an Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) project was initiated to improve that rate. The HSIP is a funding program that identifies areas in the community with the highest crash rates. The funding is allocated only to those roadway projects where corrective measures will significantly reduce crash rates and crash severity, while maintaining current and future traffic flow. A study was conducted, but further work was not funded. The study concluded that a reduction from 4 to 3 lanes with intersection improvements to be the best solution for improving safety while maintaining the current traffic flow.

ADOT&PF recently transferred the project to the MOA. The MOA Project Management and Engineering Department designated the project as a high-priority. The project corridor length has increased since the 2000 HSIP. In addition to improving safety while maintaining traffic flow, the MOA charged the project with improving congestion and safety at the intersection of Spenard and Minnesota Drive. The project will also include the section of Spenard Road from Fireweed Lane to Chester Creek at the Minnesota on-ramp.

This new project aims to: