Traffic on Parks taking a toll

on businesses

August 7, 2005

DAWN DE BUSK\Frontiersman reporter

WASILLA - When talk of a Parks Highway and Alaska Railroad route that would bypass the heart of Wasilla began about 20 years ago, it worried some entrepreneurs who owned stores along the highway.

"Now, business owners are asking DOT if we have a project to help alleviate the congestion, because it's driving customers away from downtown," said Brad Sworts, Mat-Su planner for the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities, in a recent interview.

Brad McDermott, who bought Main Street's Scentsations Floral and Gifts in January, has operated Fun Bus Alaska for 12 years.

He doesn't think a multi-module expressway would whisk tourists past Wasilla, and he's found a way to bring visitors into his store.

"Our tourists start off in Anchorage, then come to Wasilla and do lunch," he said, adding that he's expanded his floral store to include a bigger gift shop for souvenir buying.

McDermott's wife, Carolyn, said she doesn't think an expressway would reduce tourism traffic to the heart of Wasilla because the city is a destination spot, in addition being to bathroom stop and a place to restock supplies and food.

"The biggest problem is the Iditarod headquarters. Everyone wants to stop there, but it's four miles off the beaten path," Brad McDermott said.

Could a future expressway provide an off ramp to historical sites like the Iditarod headquarters, where people can pay for a summer-time sled-dog ride?

Will alternate route designs for a Wasilla bypass provide signs and access to the many resources the city has to offer?

Those questions should be addressed in the next few years, according to Sworts.

Gov. Frank Murkowski put forth a budget plan that includes $2 million to begin studying various routes for a transportation corridor that would support both vehicular traffic and the railroad tracks, Sworts said.

On July 27, representatives of four government entities signed memoranda of agreement, showing support and promising cooperation in the large project.

That group includes representatives from DOT, the Alaska Railroad Corp., Mat-Su Borough and the city of Wasilla.

Now, the 2- to 3-year process of completing the environmental impact statement will begin, and during that period there will be many opportunities for business owners and Valley residents to make their opinions known - either during public meetings or through written comments, Sworts said.

"What I see is the bypass won't come in for 10 to 15 years. The way they have plans for widening the Parks and creating frontage access will be ample until the bypass is built," Brad McDermott said.

"It's really only four months out of the year that the traffic is bad," he said.

Dawn De Busk can be reached at 352-2252, or dawn.debusk@ frontiersman.com.