Anchorage is moving forward with a long-sought connection between its two most prominent trail corridors, a federally funded project that would let cyclists and pedestrians travel from the city's coastal path to the Ship Creek area without weaving through downtown traffic.
The 1.29-mile link would bridge the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail and the Ship Creek Trail, two of the city's most-used routes for both commuters and recreation. Right now, no direct non-motorized connection exists between them, forcing anyone trying to get from one to the other to navigate busy downtown streets. The idea of closing that gap has appeared in Anchorage transportation planning documents for well over a decade.
The project is estimated to cost between $10 million and $20 million, a wide range that reflects Alaska's famously high construction costs. Building seasons are short, materials are expensive to ship, and labor rates run well above Lower 48 norms. The route will cross terrain near Ship Creek's floodplain, requiring embankment work, drainage improvements, and a reinforced concrete flood structure to cross or run adjacent to the salmon-bearing urban stream. The completed trail will also meet federal accessibility standards.
Federal dollars are covering the project through AMATS, the Anchorage Metropolitan Area Transportation Solutions planning organization that allocates federal transportation funding for the region. Choosing to dedicate that money to a trail rather than a road project reflects a deliberate regional priority, made more feasible by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which expanded federal funding available for pedestrian and trail infrastructure.
The connection matters beyond recreation. The Ship Creek corridor sits at the edge of a redevelopment zone the city has been trying to revitalize for years, and planners have argued that linking it to the coastal trail could make downtown more attractive to residents and visitors at a time when the area is still recovering from the economic hit of the COVID-19 pandemic and the damage caused by the 2018 magnitude 7.1 earthquake. The effort is part of a broader push under Mayor Suzanne LaFrance, elected in 2024, to improve quality of life and bring more activity back to the downtown core. Anchorage has also recently focused on street safety in other neighborhoods, including traffic-calming measures in Northwood.
Alaska DOT&PF has posted the project for bidding, with a completion deadline of October 15, 2027, timed to wrap before winter conditions shut down outdoor construction. If a contractor is selected and work stays on schedule, Anchorage residents could be riding or walking a continuous trail loop through and around downtown by next fall.
