Governor’s draft budget includes millions for Mat-Su projects

MAT-SU — Gov. Sean Parnell has released his draft budget, and a quick tally reveals nearly $30 million in projects in the Mat-Su Borough.

That’s not counting the $65.7 million allocated to plan, design, license and obtain permits for the Susitna River hydroelectric dam.

The governor’s budget is both a rough draft and a starting point. The Legislature will take over when it begins its deliberative session Jan. 18 and add things here, remove some there. But a few of the projects on Parnell’s list have Mat-Su officials encouraged.

Likely topping that list is $20 million destined for the borough’s large rail extension project to bring trains to Port MacKenzie.

“We had originally requested, I think it was $55 million, but even to get $20 million in the governor’s budget is a big deal,” said borough transportation planner Brad Sworts.

Earlier this year, when it came time to wield his line-item veto pen, the governor trimmed $22 million from what was a $57 million budget item for the project. At the time, he said, the idea was that the remaining money would keep the project on track through to the 2011 budget. The idea was that the rest of the project could be funded in future budgets.

“He followed through. That was great,” Sworts said.

The project is proceeding in six phases. The $55 million asked for this year would get the project through Phase 4. The previous stages dealt with planning, permitting and building a loop of rail near the port. That loop is set to be completed next summer. This year’s $35 million will get the first five or six miles of rail bed built starting at the loop. If the $55 million comes through next year it will build 15 more miles of rail bed.

“Phase 5 would be finishing up the other half of the rail bed going north. That would get us to where we would have the rail bed completely built,” Sworts said. “Phase 6 would be placing the rails and the ties and the ballast on top of the rail bed.”

Another multi-million project in the governor’s budget would allocate $3 million to the South Denali Visitor Center project.

That project is a joint effort between the borough and multiple state and federal agencies. The borough’s head of planning, Eileen Probasco, is on that team. She said various team members have taken over stages of the project. Now, the state’s Department of Natural Resources is in the driver’s seat.

“We’re encouraged that the $3 million is in the governor’s budget because that shows a commitment to the project,” Probasco said.

In broad terms, she said, the $3 million would go toward designing the facility.

“The state already has $8 million for the construction of the road and another $1 million in a grant from the federal government” to design the interpretive displays that will be there, she said.

The visitor’s center would be accessed via a yet-to-be built road off of the Parks Highway at Mile 134.5.

“What the project team is committed to doing is not build the road until we have funding for the facility on Curry Ridge,” Probasco said.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.