Anchorage Roads Just Lost Millions

Five Anchorage roadway projects lost their funding after the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities reallocated $18.7 million away from local road work, according to the Anchorage Daily News. The Anchorage Assembly has raised concerns about the decision, which affects corridors across the city where safety upgrades had been planned.

The funding cut leaves long-planned safety improvements off the table at a time when pedestrian crashes and fatalities have been climbing, particularly on high-traffic corridors that Anchorage residents use every day.

Assembly members said some of the affected projects were specifically designed to slow traffic down and make street crossings safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

The state says the money is being redirected to other parts of Alaska as DOT reshuffles its priorities statewide. For Anchorage commuters and walkers, the result is a longer wait for upgrades while the dangerous stretches in question remain unchanged.