Let’s roll up our sleeves and get this thing built

I’ve made my home in the Mat-Su Valley for more than 50 years, raised my family here and am watching my grandkids and great-grandkids grow up here.

I am thankful for the pioneering spirit in this great community, the can-do spirit, the cooperative attitude of folks you meet in the Valley. This is a community that will roll up its collective sleeves when it comes to getting a job done. And it’s a community that doesn’t turn away opportunities that will give a boost to our economy. Perhaps the most impactful endeavor being undertaken will benefit generations to come here in the Valley and in the great state of Alaska.

The construction of the Knik Arm crossing will create 1,500 construction jobs. But it is what happens after the bridge opens that will have the longest lasting effect. Thousands more jobs will be created when homes are built and businesses open their doors. A second link will strengthen the economic ties we have to the Anchorage area — supporting the port, the rail spur and our businesses and industries. It will allow the growing population in the Knik area to better access Anchorage when they want or need to — either for jobs, shopping and medicinal care or to connect to the airport for travel beyond Alaska. And, very importantly, it will provide an alternative way in and out of Anchorage in case of a disaster or other emergency.

The new connection could help drive the pattern of the Mat-Su’s rapid population growth to the Point MacKenzie area, moving the pressure off the Parks Highway and Glenn Highway corridors. Even if you don’t like all these folks moving out to the Valley, who could blame them? I know they see the same things that I see — a welcoming community in a magnificent setting with lots of opportunity to live the American dream with a family and a home with a backyard.

I’ll be the first to admit, the Knik Arm crossing is a significant project, but significant is not an obstacle to construction. The crossing is just like any other transportation project — it creates a bridge for vehicles to cross over. And yes, people have been building structures all over Southcentral Alaska, structures that can withstand the ice, snow, wind and even earthquakes, and the bridge won’t be any different.

It’s a long bridge at 1.74 miles long, but not a record breaker by any stretch of the imagination (Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in Louisiana is nearly 24 miles long and was built back in 1956). It has a higher price tag because of its size, but when did we start being the state that couldn’t do big projects? What about the oil pipeline or the Alaska Highway?

What can you do as a Valley resident to make sure that this project happens? You need to make your voice heard. Those who oppose the project are not shy about sharing their opinions. Legislators do listen to their constituents. Your opinion counts. As Alaskans concerned about the future, let’s move this project forward. The benefits will be immediate — the future benefits will be priceless.

Join me in that effort. Let’s roll up our sleeves and get this thing built.

Janet Kincaid lives in Palmer.