Millions for Mat-Su in operating, capital budgets

ANCHORAGE — Gov. Sean Parnell put ink to paper Thursday and finalized the 2015 operating and capital budgets approved by the 28th Legislature.

Parnell says the budgets “reduce government growth, while making strategic investments in roads, rail, bridges and fish.”

Included in the capital budget for Mat-Su projects is more than $240 million for projects ranging from $55 million for the Knik Arm bridge to $600,000 to build a warm storage fire station in the Nancy Lake area.

The budget also includes $2.3 million for the West Lakes Fire

Service Area Station 73 and $2 million for Houston Fire Department’s station 92.

Other Mat-Su projects included in the 2015 capital budget are:

Transportation and Energy Infrastructure

Susitna-Watana Hydroelectric Project, $20 million

Salmon Research, Restoration, and Enhancement Initiative the Matanuska Valley and Susitna Valley Drainage Systems, $2.5 million

Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Bogard Road Extension East,

$7 million

Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Gateway Visitor Center Phase 2, $1.2 million

Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Rail Extension to Port MacKenzie, $13 million

Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Substandard Roads and Bridges, $1.37 million

Wasilla, Fishhook Road-Main Street Improvements, $5.7 million

Wasilla, Lucus Road Improvements, $11 million

Parks Highway, Mile 43.5 to 52.3 reconstruction - Lucas Road to Big Lake Cutoff, $50 million

Parks Highway, Mile 90 to 146 resurfacing, $50 million

Parks Highway, Mile 183 to 188 reconstruction, $1.5 million

Glenn Highway, Mile 49 realignment, $3.55 million

Hatcher Pass Road resurfacing, Mile 18 to 20, $2 million

Pittman Road rehabilitation and resurfacing, $2 million

Petersville Road rehabilitation, Mile 0 to 18.6, $8 million

Education

Joe Redington Sr., Jr/Sr High School Utilities Extension, $900,000

State of Alaska to provide 50 percent matching funds for borough transportation school access bonds, $1.6 million

Wasilla, new public library,

$1.7 million