PALMER -- Matanuska-Susitna Borough officials are preparing to spend $935,000 to study road and bridge locations for future development in Hatcher Pass.
The Mat-Su Assembly earlier this month appropriated nearly $85,000 in borough money to supplement federal funding earmarked for Hatcher Pass. The borough money will be paired with $850,0000 from the Federal Highway Administration.
Borough community development director Ron Swanson said the study aims to find locations for roads at Hatcher Pass. A bridge across the Little Susitna River will be analyzed too, he said. The studies have to be completed before federal money can be spent on road construction, he said.
"In order to spend the money for the roads, you have to do the environmental," Swanson said.
For example, Swanson said, the borough has $1 million to build a bridge. The environmental assessment will show whether the bridge is needed, and where the best place may be to build it.
A bridge across the Little Susitna River has figured into several plans for development at Hatcher Pass, including the most recent by Anchorage developer JL Properties for both a bridge and commercial village near the entrance to Hatcher Pass. JL Properties pulled out of that project in October.
"Every developer you talk to wants the access off Hatcher Pass Road, not through Edgerton-Parks Road, primarily because then it's the major attraction. Kind of like Alyeska," Swanson said.
It's possible the assessment could show a bridge isn't necessary, Borough Manager John Duffy told the Assembly Feb. 6.
Bridge or not, the environmental work must be done before the borough can spend federal money to build nordic ski trails or move forward on other aspects of the Hatcher Pass project, Swanson said.
The process may take six months to two years.
Dowl Engineers was awarded a $374,116 contract Feb. 6 for the road design and environmental study.
The study will require at least three opportunities for public comment, Swanson said.
Initially, the borough had a larger budget for the study. Federal funding slipped from $1 million to $850,000 after Congress passed a provision requiring states to return money that had not yet been spent.
Daily News reporter Rindi White can be reached at rwhite@adn.com or 352-6709.
