The wait is finally over. Seward-Meridian Parkway in Wasilla is finished and open to traffic from the Parks Highway to Seldon Road. It opened in early September. The impact on driving and traffic was immediate.
Wasilla is the fastest growing city in Alaska. According to the latest census the population of Wasilla is up nearly 20% since 2020. That’s about 11,000 more residents. The community feels the effects on the roads. Especially during rush hour.
Seward Meridian Parkway was first constructed in 1982. Wasilla looked a lot different back then. Forty years later it needed to be upgraded to ease traffic congestion. A growing medical plaza and four schools branching off the roadway meant major traffic.
Traffic backed up from Palmer-Wasilla Highway to Seldon before completion of the parkway. Drivers took a detour through residential neighborhoods down Tait Drive and Tambert Drive to reach Seldon from Bogard for years.
The Alaska Department of Transportation announced the project with a budget of $44 million dollars back in 2003. The plan emphasized reducing car-related injuries and fatalities on the heavily used road.
The construction occurred in two phases. The first phase upgraded Seward-Meridian Parkway from Parks Highway to Palmer-Wasilla Highway. It was completed in 2012. The second phase began in 2024. It continues the four-lanes to Seldon. The intersection at Bogard is improved. The project adds sidewalks, crosswalks, and railings for pedestrians.
The Seward Meridian extension from Bogard Road to Seldon Road opened in September. Driving to Teeland Middle School, Career Tech High School, and Fronteras Spanish Immersion Charter School got easier. The schools are on that road.
Drivers notice the difference now that Seward Meridian connects Seldon Road to Parks Highway. Palmer resident Bill Sharlow says it’s much easier to get to and from the medical plaza. He notes that the new traffic lights and intersections are well placed. Local business owner Jessica Brown says the new extension to Seldon is a direct route. Fewer drivers are cutting through neighborhoods.
A project planned more than 20 years ago is completed. The four lanes on the Seward Meridian from Parks Highway to Seldon Road make travel easier and safer for all.
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Jamie Lundgren reported this Page Two article. Lundgren is a senior at Career and Technical High School. Yours truly, Lee Henrikson produced it. If you have an idea for a Page 2 topic, please email us at page2@radiofreepalmer.org.
That’s it for today and the news on Page Two on Friday, October 9, 2026.
Photo: Jamie Lundgren gives a thumbs up at the new Seward-Meridian Parkway. Photo by Emily Forstner