Port MacKenzie development: moving forward at a fast pace: goals are being met and much work lies on the horizon.

• Author: Van Dongen, Marc
• Position: Matanuska-Susitna Borough - Alaska

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough is making significant progress in the development of Port MacKenzie. The borough is focusing on five main goals to develop the port: installing utilities, constructing a deep-draft dock, making road improvements, establishing a year-round transportation link between Anchorage and Port MacKenzie, and constructing a rail spur from the Parks Highway to the port. During the past year, projects have been completed in all five areas and more.

Utilities: Three-phase electric lines were extended 11 miles down the Point MacKenzie Road to the dock at the port. The lines were buried the last 2.3 miles within the port district and were energized in April 2003. A telephone-microwave-relay facility was constructed by Matanuska Telephone Association to receive signals from another tower in Eagle River. Telephone lines also were buried within the utility easement and were activated in May 2003. The port district now has telephone, fax and Internet capability, in addition to electricity. A $250,000 grant also was approved by the Denali Commission for the design of a 15-mile natural gas line extension to the port. The design will be completed in 2004 and construction will follow upon the borough securing additional funding.

Deep-Draft Dock: The design for the new dock was completed by Peratrovich, Nottingham & Drage in September. The steel was ordered in October, and a construction contract will be awarded in January 2004. Permits have already been approved, and the dock is scheduled for construction during summer 2004. Negotiations are nearly completed with a private firm, NPI LLC, which will provide $3 million toward the construction of the dock, which will be extended out to -60 feet at mean lower low water (or at the average low tide) and will be 1,200 feet long. NPI LLC also has committed to construct an $8 million conveyor system and articulated loader that will extend from the bluff above the dock to the end of the deep-draft dock. The borough will grant NPI an exclusive right to convey certain bulk commodities in return for the $3 million payment. Any company will be able to utilize the conveyor, barge dock and/or deep-draft dock.

Road Improvements: Calcium chloride was placed on 12 miles of the Point MacKenzie Road in June 2003. This has improved the driving conditions and kept the fines (finer particles in a gravel road) from blowing off the road. Grades on two hills will be reduced from 10 percent to 5 percent in...