The Knik Arm Bridge is a proposed highway crossing of the Knik Arm portion of Cook Inlet in north Anchorage, Alaska.
The bridge would expand the commuter belt for Southcentral Alaska, connecting the Matanuska/Susitna Valley (Mat-Su) with Anchorage, Alaska's largest city. The Mat-Su Valley is the fastest growing region of Alaska. Proponents say the bridge would stimulate new housing construction in Mat-Su and open up more land for commercial and industrial development. It would also provide an alternate route from Anchorage to points north. Cost estimates for the bridge are around $1 billion.
Opponents suggest that a proposed Knik Arm ferry is a more cost-effective solution. The ice-breaking ferry, partially funded by the U.S. Navy, was completed and christened the M/V Susitna in June 2010. A terminal on the Mat-Su side has also been completed, but as of September 2011, the ferry is berthed in storage and the project is on hold pending resolution of disputes about where to build the dock on the Anchorage side.
Read more about Knik Arm Bridge: Idea, Criticism and Controversy, Support, Delay and Lawsuit, Received "Record of Decision" From Federal Highways Administration, Legislative Action
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