Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan said that the city is dropping its lawsuit against the Federal Highway Administration after engineers with the Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority (KABATA) redesigned a road connecting to the bridge, so it won’t interfere with access to the port.
“There’s a choke point for the bridge behind the Port, where the access road has to run,” said Sullivan. “And there was concern that it might impact the operation of the port’s dry dock.”
Michael Foster, director of KABATA, said after several months both parties were able to work out a solution where the bridge's right-of-way and the dry berth area could coexist on the same narrow stretch of land.
KABATA is currently evaluating proposals from six teams to design, construct, finance, operate and maintain the bridge which will connect Anchorage to Mat-Su Borough. Formal bids are expected in spring next year.