What's Under a Viaduct?

Commenting tips: A viaduct does not reduce impacts to parkland underneath it. There is no way to put Parkway Alternative D through our parks without unacceptable impacts.

DOT's proposal for Parkway Alternative D attempts to minimize impacts to our parks by elevating the highway on a 3,000-foot-long, 4-lane viaduct. Look around Anchorage and see what is under other viaducts or 4-lane elevated structures: a dark, dead zone of gravel; trash; snowplowing debris; shelters. Below is the A/C Street viaduct downtown. It's 2 lanes wide here:

Here is a Raspberry Road overpass. It's 4 lanes wide and about as high as the projected Alternative D viaduct:

Here is MLK passing over the Campbell Creek Trail, also 4 lanes wide:

This is considering only what is under these elevated structures. Add to these scenes the noise and pollution of traffic passing overhead and it is clear that a highway viaduct would have significant, negative impacts on quality of life in our parks.