Business/Economy

Video: Municipality makes a new push to get northern Spenard Road redesigned

After nearly two decades of debate and planning, the Spenard Road reconstruction project -- from 30th Avenue to Hillcrest Drive -- is positioned to receive $13.8 million if a city bond proposal passes during the April 5 Anchorage municipal election.

The municipality's promotional machine is in overdrive. From 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at West High School, project planners and engineers will host an open house to get their message out. They are still taking public comment on the project and entertaining ideas for improvements.

The team will attend various community forums over the next several weeks, including with area community councils and at the Spenard Chamber of Commerce.

Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz has made construction projects a priority as the city copes with declining state revenue from oil.

"One of the ways that Anchorage is going to get through the state's fiscal situation is we're going to build our way through it," Berkowitz said last week at the Anchorage Transportation Fair. "We're going to show people that because we're willing to invest in ourselves, they should invest in us. And I have a great deal of confidence in the people of Anchorage and the prospects for this city."

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