Long-term plans call for major changes to the layout of Spenard Road

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The next phase of the on-going Spenard Corridor Plan will completely reshape the layout of the neighborhood’s main thoroughfare, running from Benson Boulevard to Minnesota Drive.

According to project engineer Sean Baski, the actual road work will not take place until at least 2025, but the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities is currently working to gather input from local stakeholders in order to finalize the design plans.

“We have heard pretty resoundingly, that people are interested in a 3-lane alternative, with a 2-way left-turn lane in the middle,” Baski told Alaska’s News Source on Thursday.

The idea of reducing Spenard Road down to three lanes is that it would free up room to add features like bike paths and wider sidewalks, while also improving access to local businesses in the area.

“There are compromises that have to be made,” he added, “but we eventually get to a solution that tries to meet all stakeholders’ needs.”

Previous phases of the project were paid for by the Municipality of Anchorage; however, changes to this particular stretch of road has already been approved for federal funding. The Department of Transportation says it could cost 20-30 million dollars to complete the necessary work, but it won’t happen any time soon. Actual shovel work is planned to begin sometime in 2025.