Alaska Transportation Dept. to spend $1 million on feasibility study for tunnel megaproject

Alaska state transportation officials will conduct a $1 million feasibility study to evaluate the costs, benefits and environmental impact stemming from its proposed transportation tunnel connecting Anchorage and Point MacKenzie, according to Anchorage Daily News. The tunnel is planned to be built underneath Knik Arm, the northern branch of Cook Inlet.

The potential for the underground roadway has been studied and discussed at length for decades, with a 2019 study estimating a cost of more than $900 million. If approved, the project is projected for completion by December 2025.

The study is intended to explore ways to meet “current and future transportation needs,” and to alleviate traffic from the Glenn Highway, local transportation officials told Anchorage Daily News.

It’s estimated that one-third of residents living in the Mat-Su region commute to Anchorage for work, and the region is experiencing rapid growth.

A Knik Arm bridge project has previously been proposed, but rejected for a multitude of reasons, including cost and environmental impact. Former Gov. Bill Walker halted bridge plans in 2016, but not before the state had spent over $100 million on the project.

According to a transportation spokesperson, the feasibility study will offer better insights into construction strategies and associated costs, and ultimately will mean less impact to the local environment. Officials are hopeful that advancements in tunneling technology over the past decade will help advance the project.

However, some locals are resistant to the idea of a tunnel megaproject, drawing on skepticism that it’s simply not feasible. Vocal opponents are urging the state transportation department instead to allocate public funding to projects that are more achievable and better supported by the public.

 

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