Port MacKenzie Rail System Info

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough and the Alaska Railroad Corporation propose to build and operate a rail line connecting the Borough’s Port MacKenzie to the existing ARRC rail system. The proposed rail line would provide freight and potentially passenger services between the Port and Interior Alaska.

Here, http://portmacrail.com/, you’ll find up-to-date information on the project, the alternatives map which shows where the proposed line could extend, how you can comment, answers to frequently asked questions, and more information about the proposed extension.

Over the past 30 years, several entities have considered construction of a rail connection to a port in the Mat-Su Borough. Port MacKenzie is now a port with ocean-going commerce and a road, soon-to-be-paved, but still requires rail to expand its development. Marine ports don’t reach their full potential unless they are multi-modal. The most recent and detailed of these studies was completed in 2003 (Matanuska-Susitna Borough Rail Corridor Study) which culminated in the recommendation of a route that would ultimately connect to the Alaska Railroad near Willow. The Mat-Su Borough has been the fastest growing area of the State for the past 16 years. Conditions have changed since the project was first considered. This growth along with new technical data make it critical to take a fresh look at the various alignments. The Borough and the Alaska Railroad are partners in this project. The Borough has asked the Alaska Railroad to prepare and submit an application to construct and operate a railroad between their rail system and Port MacKenzie. This is beyond a planning action and represents a specific request to construct the rail line. Attached to it will likely be explicit conditions under which such a railroad would be constructed. An application of this type requires an environmental document (either an Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Statement) as required by the National Environmental Policy Act or NEPA. The environmental document will be started sometime after January of 2008 and will be another way for you to comment. The environmental document is carried out by the federal Surface Transportation Board. Right now, we’re gathering as much information as possible in preparation for the application before the STB and the environmental document, which will follow. Because of the finality associated with this action, the Borough and the ARRC felt it prudent to take a final review of all the studies and information previously assembled to ensure that the route proposed to the STB be the best possible.