The road to Bear Valley Elementary would narrow, and won't fix the jam

Mountain air bear valley road · MD

The stretch of Mountain Air Drive that carries parents to Bear Valley Elementary School would get narrower after reconstruction, and it won't fix the school's pickup-line traffic. The design goes before the Anchorage Planning and Zoning Commission on Monday.

The plan would shrink the pavement between Rabbit Creek Road and the school from about 36 feet to 28 feet. A project memo acknowledges the work "does not resolve the on-site queuing issues at Bear Valley Elementary," where cars line up well before the 3:30 dismissal and back onto Rabbit Creek Road. But engineers say the narrower road still leaves room for two-way traffic during the short queuing window, and that a planned second driveway should ease the backup. The municipal traffic engineer signed off.

The reconstruction is one piece of the Mountain Air Drive Extension, which would build less than a mile of new road from Sandpiper Drive to Rabbit Creek Road, adding a secondary access route to Fire Station 10 and the school, an 8-foot multi-use path, a 25 mph design speed, and emergency egress for nearby neighborhoods. Residents have backed the path and the second access route, and raised concerns about speeding on the corridor. No agencies objected, and the Planning Department received no public comments.

The extension is estimated at $15.25 million, more than 90 percent federally funded, with construction expected in 2028. Staff recommend approval with conditions, including resolving a question about the pathway's grade and whether it meets accessibility requirements.