Challenge
In Anchorage, Alaska, the Seward Highway is the primary north-south artery for the Anchorage Bowl with long distances between ramps and highway crossings and an average daily traffic count ranging from 20,000 to 60,000 vehicles. During the morning and afternoon commute periods, traffic volume increases, travel speed reduces, and traffic often diverts to frontage roads as travelers make their way to and from employment centers. During evening peak hours, the traffic exiting at ramps often backs up onto the freeway, creating potentially unsafe conditions. The limited crossings are also a barrier to pedestrian and bicycle travel.
Solution
Kittelson worked with teaming partners CH2M and DOWL to develop and evaluate the project corridor and interchange improvements, and to enhance multi-modal connectivity across the highway in order to address safety, non-motorized travel, and vehicle capacity issues.
The Outcome
Congestion Relief + Improved Bike/Ped Mobility in Alaska
The project team’s solutions included a new interchange at Scooter Dr/Academy Dr to facilitate direct neighborhood and shopping center access, relieve congestion on Dimond Blvd, and create an efficient ped/bike link across the Seward Hwy. The team suggested that the Dimond Blvd and O’Malley Blvd interchanges be converted into diverging diamond interchanges (DDIs) to reduce congestion and improve safety performance along those corridors.
