Valley projects get close to $40 million

MAT-SU — As taxpayers recover from the shock of the federal government spending $787 billion on the stimulus package, the next question becomes, “Where’s my recovery?”

While part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is designed to increase individuals’ spending power, its more lofty goal is to invest in infrastructure, laying the groundwork for future growth and development.

The local governments in the Valley have by no means been inundated with fresh capital, but the first stimulus money has been appropriated and is starting to trickle in. Below are some of the area projects that have secured funding from federal recovery dollars.

• $20 million to $30 million for improvements to the Parks Highway between Mile 72 and 83. Improvements include reconstruction the embankments, resurface the pavement, widen the roadway, add passing lanes, and improve the bridges. This project is estimated to require 326 jobs.

• $2.5 million to $5 million for resurfacing the Glenn Highway from Mile 34, the Parks Highway interchange, to Mile 42 , the intersection with the Palmer-Wasilla Highway. Estimated to require 54 jobs.

• $476,000 from a grant awarded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to repair or install new culverts for increased fish passage underneath Valley roads.

• $564,041 from one of only 35 grants awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency to protect water quality and drinking water supplies.

• $118,783 from the EPA for efforts to wetlands management.

• $500,000 for new restroom facilities in the Talkeetna Depot of the Alaska Railroad. Estimated to require five jobs.

• $249,300 for energy efficiency upgrades in the Valley. The borough is upgrading the lighting and fixtures in that building and implement the regional transit authority for improved driving efficiency.

• $900,000 for a new Park-and-Ride facility at the intersection of the Parks Highway and Seward-Meridian Road.

• $500,000 for four more vans for the Mat-Su Community Transit motor pool and a driving simulator to train drivers.

• $50,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development program for the initial work on at new wastewater treatment facility in Talkeetna.

• $2.5 million to the city of Palmer to replace steel water mains to ensure clean drinking water. The grant comes from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation funded by the EPA.

• $2.5 million for Palmer to upgrade its wastewater treatment facility. Again, this comes from the ADEC funded by the EPA.

This is simply a list of the projects that have already secured funding. As any manager or mayor will be quick to comment, there is still much money up for grabs, and the cities and borough are submitting grant applications with both hands.

Contact Todd L. Disher at todd.disher@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.