Meetings set to begin on Point MacKenzie rail expansion plan

MAT-SU — They’ve been 30 years in the making. A series of open houses will stretch from Wasilla to Willow as the Mat-Su Borough invites the public to review and discuss routes for a 30- to 45-mile extension of the Alaska Railroad to Port MacKenzie.

This part of the project is the environmental assessment phase, the last part before undertaking final design and construction on the project.

The rail line “will drastically change the nature of the port,” said Borough spokeswoman Patty Sullivan.

While the rail project could open new mineral markets for export, including possibly Alaska-produced cement, Sullivan said there has been controversy about the proposed routes for the expansion. One plan affects the Willow area. Another puts tracks near Houston. All are available online at www.portmacrail.com.

Sullivan said all routes are on the table for discussion and designers could eventually choose a route not yet though of based on public suggestions. The most recent study, conduced in 2003, selected a route near Willow, she said. That plan drew some local opposition, especially from dog mushers and owners of cabins.

The final design and construction phases could cost as much as $300 million. The Borough and Alaska Railroad Corp. are jointly studying the best way to finance the extension. Public meetings are all from 6-8 p.m. with a project overview at 7 p.m. They are:

• Wasilla, Oct. 1, Lake Lucille Inn ,1300 W. Lake Lucille Dr.

• Big Lake, Oct. 2, Big Lake Elementary School, 3808 S. Big Lake Road.

• Willow, Oct. 3, Willow Area Community Center, Mile 69.5 Parks Highway.

• Knik, Oct. 4, Knik Elementary School, 6350 W. Hollywood Dr.

• Houston, Oct. 5, Houston Middle School, 12801 W. Hawk Lane.

Sullivan expects a strong turnout for what she said is the beginning of the end of a long process. “The project has been considered for 30 years. It won’t be a surprise to many.”

Contact John R. Moses at 352-2270 or john.moses@frontiersman.com.