Voters to decide bonds for 17 road projects on Nov. 7

Mat-Su voters will vote on more road bonds Nov. 7, pledging local taxpayers to pay for $38.17 million in new debt for what are mainly improvements for safety and congestion-relief on existing streets and roads in the borough.

What voters will see on the ballot is just half the cost of the 17 projects listed because the approvals also hinge on the state Legislature stepping up to fund 50 percent of the $72 million in total costs.

This not new territory. Mat-Su has been experiencing 40 years of fast growth that have strained local transportation infrastructure as populations, and traffic, grew.

The list of projects on the ballot will add to xx now under construction that were part of a $61.1 million bond package approved by local voters in 2021. As it happened the borough was able to raise other state and federal funds, so the bonds did not need to be issued.

Mat-Su voters also approved $47.6 million in bonds for 10 road projects in 2018, this also 50 percent funded by the state. There were also 48.3 million bonds approved in 2011, also with a 50 percent match.

Seventeen projects are on the 2023 ballot voters will see Nov. 7. If the approvals are given, and there has not been a road bond yet disapproved, the borough will have the authority to assume $38.16 million in new general obligation debt that would pay 50 percent the total costs.

If the Legislature does not approve, or Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoes, the state’s 50 percent share, the borough’s bond cannot be issued.

Here are the projects on the ballot:

• Edgerton Parks Road, Mountain Trail Drive upgrade and pathway, at $1.087 million local share. This to do road improvements and pedestrian access to the Government Peak recreation area.

• Hemmer Road extension south, at $2.95 million local share. This would make improve access to Valley Pathways school from a major residential area though an extension of Hemmer Road south of the Palmer-Wasilla Highway

• Pioneer Peak elementary school, safety and site traffic improvements, at $1.13 million local share. This would make safety and site improvements to relieve traffic congestion

• Green Forest Drive reconstruction, at $3.11 million local share. This would result in new paving, signage and drainage improvements as well as rebuilding of the road base

• Museum Drive extension, at $3.07 million local share. This would extend Museum Drive to Sylvan Road with improvements in the road bed, signage and drainage. There is now significant local and commercial traffic on the Parks Highway that could be served with this extension

• Burma Road upgrades and improvements, at $5.8 million local share. This would make improvements in road alignment, drainage and widening.

• Shaw elementary school traffic and safety improvements, at $9.2 million. This is to relieve local traffic congestion that sometimes sees traffic backed up to the Wasilla-Fishhook Road

• King Arthur Drive reconstruction, Parks Highway to No Name Hill Drive, at $3.3 million local share. This is to repair flood damage to this east-west corridor that connects the Parks Highway with the Meadow Lakes residential area

• Yoder Road reconstruction, Talkeetna Spur to Southfork Road. This is to bring this road, which is in poor condition, up to standard. It provides primary access to commercial and residential properties in the area

• Jolly Creek drainage improvement, at $976,500 local share. This is mainly to make drainage improvements in an area that experiences flooding. Runoff waters would be diverted to Big Lake and Fish Creek

• West Lakes Blvd. Big Lake Trail No. 1, separated crossing, at $1.4 million locl share. This is a safety improvement to separate trail crossings of West Lakes Blvd. It requires utility relocation

• Inner-Outer Springer Loop Pathway, at $1.2 million local share. This is to build a pedestrian path along the Inner-Outer Springer Loop and Cope Industrial Way to the Glenn Highway

• Tait Drive pavement rehabilitation, Bogard Road to Seldon, at $274,000 local share. This involves pavement rehabilitation, drainage, guardrails and signage

• Earl Drive, Eek Street pavement rehabilitation, Bogard Road to Finger Lake elementary school, at $236,500 local share. This mainly involves pavement rehabilitation

• Gershmel Loop pavement rehabilitation, Fireweed Road, at $323,500 local share.

• Finger Lake Elementary School traffic and safety improvements, at $742,000 local share. This involves reconstruction related to safety improvement

• Big Lake boat launch access and parking reconstruction, at $161,000.

If all of the bonds are issued there would be an additional $667,710 in bond issuance costs.

Mat-Su’s public works director Tom Adams said the school safety and traffic improvement projects can often be done in a year or two unless there are complications like the need to relocate utilities or acquire rights-of-way.