Anchorage: Knik Arm bridge route approved

[Kniwt]

The Anchorage Daily News reports that the Federal Highway Administration has signed a record of decision for construction of the 8,200-foot, $700 million, two-lane Knik Arm bridge. Construction could begin in 2012.

The state agency that's trying to build the Knik Arm crossing, a mega-project dreamed and debated for decades in Southcentral, still has much more work to do. More lobbying, more permitting and, maybe most importantly, finding a way to pay the more than $700 million price tag.

[JREwing78]

Another "bridge to nowhere"!

[Landshark]

It's sad that people are lazy to the point where rhetoric like the "bridge to nowhere," which would link a city with its Intl. airport., is acceptable political rhetoric.   

[NE2]

This the one will shorten the commute from a suburb. The other "bridge to nowhere" would have connected a small town to its airport, replacing a not-bad ferry.

[Landshark]

This the one will shorten the commute from a suburb. The other "bridge to nowhere" would have connected a small town to its airport, replacing a not-bad ferry.

Both would open up much needed land.  Both Anchorage and Ketchikan are pretty much built out. 

[Alps]

Bwa ha ha ha.  Anchorage is nowhere CLOSE to built out.  There's a ton of land inside that city that's developable.  Right now it's far too low-density for a city, anyway, never mind the available land.  I do know that the existing highways can jam up during rush hour, but I'd bet that's due to not having a continuous freeway (bypass?) connecting 1 and 3 more than inadequate capacity entering Anchorage.  This is definitely a boondoggle project.

[agentsteel53]

Both would open up much needed land.  Both Anchorage and Ketchikan are pretty much built out. 

I'm kinda hoping that Alaska remains immune from the sprawlerrific developments that plague the lower 48.

probably not, it seems.

[mightyace]

^^^

Remember besides any presents from DC, they have all that oil money from the North Slope.  Compared to say Dubai (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Dubai+-+United+Arab+Emirates&sll=45.346551,-72.782407&sspn=0.006907,0.019119&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Dubai+-+United+Arab+Emirates&ll=25.193758,55.203552&spn=0.569134,1.223602&t=k&z=10) they've been mighty restrained.

[oscar]

Today's Anchorage Daily News has an editorial, with lukewarm concerns about the need and southern approach for the bridge.  Some people in Anchorage are more strongly opposed to the bridge.

I like the idea of another way between Anchorage and its far northern suburbs.  Anchorage has remarkably few road accesses for such a large city, only one highway to the north (including a chokepoint where the old highway's been obliterated, no alternate to the freeway if there's a major closure), and only one to the south, with geography precluding roads to the west and east.   

OTOH, the alternative souithern bridge approach, tying into AK 1 at Gambrell and Ingra streets, seems an attractive alternative to dumping bridge traffic into downtown Anchorage (which isn't going to be the only Anchorage destination for bridge users).  That tie-in could also be worked into a possible freeway link between the Glenn Highway and Seward Highway segments of AK 1. 

[Landshark]

Bwa ha ha ha.  Anchorage is nowhere CLOSE to built out.  There's a ton of land inside that city that's developable.  Right now it's far too low-density for a city, anyway, never mind the available land.

What's your plan, develop parkland?  Hope the military closes bases and opens up the land?  Anchorage is filling up, and the closest open land is across Knik Arm.   The crossing would also shorten the distance between Anchorage and Fairbanks.   

[agentsteel53]

Compared to say Dubai they've been mighty restrained.

well, that's like saying that compared to John Belushi, everyone is a safe, courteous and responsible drinker.

[english si]

well, that's like saying that compared to John Belushi, everyone is a safe, courteous and responsible drinker.

Well, Jim Belushi and a couple of mates - Qatar (especially in 10 years, when they'll have all those stadia for the most silly world cup ever, and 20 when they'll no doubt have the Winter Olympics!) and Bahrain have gone a bit OTT building stuff for the sake of it too, doing fancy patterns with reclaimed land, etc.

[oscar]

Bwa ha ha ha.  Anchorage is nowhere CLOSE to built out.  There's a ton of land inside that city that's developable.  Right now it's far too low-density for a city, anyway, never mind the available land.

What's your plan, develop parkland?  Hope the military closes bases and opens up the land?  Anchorage is filling up, and the closest open land is across Knik Arm.   The crossing would also shorten the distance between Anchorage and Fairbanks.   

I've heard some long-range dreams (not necessarily coming out of Anchorage) involve making room for more development in Anchorage by moving the international airport to the north side of Knik Arm.  A two-lane crossing doesn't fit with that, but as I understand it the current planned two-lane bridge is intended to be easily expanded to four lanes if and when demand so warrants.

[J N Winkler]

Remember besides any presents from DC, they have all that oil money from the North Slope.  Compared to say Dubai (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Dubai+-+United+Arab+Emirates&sll=45.346551,-72.782407&sspn=0.006907,0.019119&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Dubai+-+United+Arab+Emirates&ll=25.193758,55.203552&spn=0.569134,1.223602&t=k&z=10) they've been mighty restrained.

To a point, yes.  The oil money shows up in the polished granite floor in Anchorage International Airport.

[oscar]

Remember besides any presents from DC, they have all that oil money from the North Slope.  Compared to say Dubai (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Dubai+-+United+Arab+Emirates&sll=45.346551,-72.782407&sspn=0.006907,0.019119&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Dubai+-+United+Arab+Emirates&ll=25.193758,55.203552&spn=0.569134,1.223602&t=k&z=10) they've been mighty restrained.

To a point, yes.  The oil money shows up in the polished granite floor in Anchorage International Airport.

Which really isn't one of the more impressive terminals out there.  I've always thought it was rather rundown, though it was undergoing a facelift when I last was there (for five arrivals and departures within a week and a half) in June 2009.

A lot of the oil money goes into the Permanent Fund, rather than the state operating and capital budgets.  And the state government seems to do a pretty good job holding the line on expenditures, and not getting tempted by the oil money into overindulgence.  (Of course, Sen. "Uncle Ted" Stevens until 2008, and still to some extent long-time Rep. Don Young, were able to help out on overindulgence, including the original plan to help fund the Knik Arm bridge, as well as the deceased Gravina Island bridge project in Ketchikan, with Federal earmarks.)

[Landshark]

...but as I understand it the current planned two-lane bridge is intended to be easily expanded to four lanes if and when demand so warrants.

That's good to hear.   A Knik Arm crossing could eventually become the mainline to Fairbanks, and shorten the distance by bypassing the rapidly developing parts of the Mat-Su.