Trunk road expansion made official with ribbon cutting

WASILLA — Drivers in one of the Mat-Su’s fastest growing areas will now have an easier time connecting to the Parks Highway with Friday’s official opening of the South Trunk Road extension. The $19 million project was officially dedicated Friday morning with a ribbon cutting.

The new, 1.5-mile road project extends Trunk Road southward from the Parks Highway to Nelson Road. Borough officials said the extension was constructed in response to a growing community by providing improved highway access to the area south of the Parks Highway and east of Fairview Loop. The project also serves to develop an integrated roadway network that respects individual neighborhoods, minimizes through traffic and facilitates efficient movement of pedestrians and vehicles, according to the borough.

The new stretch consists of 12-foot travel lanes, an eight-foot paved shoulder and a 10-foot multi-use pathway. A new bridge to cross the Alaska Railroad mainline also was part of the package. The bridge removes traffic from a busy adjacent railroad crossing. The new stretch also provides improved access to Machetanz Elementary School. A larger bridge replacing the existing one over Wasilla Creek is part of the project but currently is unfunded and has yet to be constructed, according to the borough.

Project funding came from a combination of borough and state sources. The borough’s portion was derived from the sale of 2011 road bonds approved by Mat-Su residents while state matching funds came through a grant. Additional funding was provided through a 2013 school access bond package, borough officials said.

The opening caps more than two years of improvement along the busy thoroughfare. Construction of a new roundabout started in 2015 and opened to traffic in the summer of 2016. The project took $2.6 million to design cost almost $900,000 in right-of-way acquisitions.

Contact reporter Chris Ford at 352-2270 or chris.ford@frontiersman.com