The Municipality of Anchorage (MOA), Project Management and Engineering (PM&E) Department is initiating the Van Buren Street and 48th Avenue Improvement project. Currently, the project area has a truck route north on Van Buren to 48th and then east on 48th to Harding. This route passes trucks along the west and north sides of the Spenard Recreation Center. The local community would like an alternate route established to prevent trucks from using residential streets that have a significant amount of pedestrian traffic. The Taft/Van Buren Extension will likely require right-of-way acquisition and/or easements from the Sourdough Trucking Company. The MOA is currently negotiating with Sourdough.

The project will be broken down into two phases. The first phase will be constructed in late summer 2008. It will include the Taft Street extension, traffic diverter at the intersection of Taft Street and 48th Avenue, and installation of a choker at the intersection of Van Buren Street and 48th Avenue. The second phase is planned for construction in the summer of 2009 and is subject to Assembly and voter approval. It will include the relocation of Sisterhood Park's soccer field to the west, construction of a new parking lot for the soccer field, and Van Buren Street improvements.