For over a decade, the decorative block wall on both sides of Muldoon Road — from the Glenn Highway to Debarr Road — has steadily deteriorated. Broken blocks now litter the sidewalks, and gaps mark places where blocks are entirely missing. Years of abuse from wayward vehicles, snowplowing, freeze/thaw cycles and other factors have left it as we see it today — looking like the aftermath of war.
Built in 2012, the wall was one of the final pieces of a decade-long Muldoon improvement project constructed by the State of Alaska. It included landscaping with trees and perennials, the addition of well-defined bus stops and other decorative touches, one of which was this wall. The wall itself is made of commercially available concrete block.
We might assume that the condition of this wall is due to its location in a low-income area of Anchorage. But there’s more: State representatives tell of a 10-year agreement between the Municipality of Anchorage and the State of Alaska for the maintenance of the wall. However, ten years have passed, and it is clear the Municipality did next to nothing to maintain the wall. There are certain sections where it appears that businesses have maintained the wall themselves, while near other businesses and residential areas the wall has been reduced to rubble. Some pieces remain scattered on the ground, creating a safety hazard.
Residents report finger-pointing by the state and the municipality for the lack of maintenance in the years since the wall was built.
This kind of neglect is not an isolated incident. It is a physical representation of post-peak Anchorage. It is a physical representation of our inability to fix and an unwillingness to pay for the maintenance of our community assets. It is a physical representation of the inability of our municipality and our state to work cooperatively for the betterment of Anchorage. And, yes, it is a symptom of apathy.
Let’s fix the wall and take care of it. Let’s put the past behind us and move forward.
David Weber is a Northeast Anchorage resident and board member of the Northeast Community Council.
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