As Alaskans, we have all heard about building a bridge over the Knik River to connect Anchorage to Point MacKenzie over the years. A recent arcticle in the Anchorage Daily News states estimates somewhere between $400 and $600 million with only $229 million in federal monies. That's alot of money to be made up by state and local agencies, plus these are only estimates and will most likely run over those amounts.

First off, I feel they should work on Anchorage's traffic patterns BEFORE they think about building a bridge. Anchorage could use a bypass expressway that allows you to drive in on the Glenn Highway and exit south on the Seward Highway. Going downtown on the Glenn turning on Gambell before you get on the the Seward Highway is terrible. Taking Muldoon/Tudor is not better either.

Secondly, I think the bridge should be a toll bridge. The users that benefit the most from it should be willing to pay to use it. I have heard that it would not cut down the commute time from Anchorage to Wasilla, but rather just open up more land at Point MacKenzie for Anchorage to expand. Yes, Anchorage does need more land to expand. With all available land pretty much developed, there is no room for new construction. It is hard to bring new businesses in because they don't have room for offices or even homes for employees.

I am sure there are a lot of good reasons for and against a bridge and I'd love to hear your feedback. Please vote on the poll.