3.0 Affected Environment - Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority

Knik Arm Crossing DraftFinal EIS
Affected Environment
transportation improvement would primarily benefit the traveling public, in general, and
businesses and residential developments, economically.
The Mat-Su Borough is planning to pave Point MacKenzie Road from the end of the existing
paved surface to Port MacKenzie. Point MacKenzie Road is a Borough-operated and
maintained facility. This construction will be accomplished with state funds ($15.4 million in
FY 07) administered by the Mat-Su Borough under a State of Alaska Municipal Grant
through the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development.
Completion of construction is expected not later than June 2008 to coincide with the
operation of the Cook Inlet Ferry between Port MacKenzie and the Ship Creek area on the
east side of Knik Arm. Knik-Goose Bay Road, however, is a State-operated and maintained
transportation facility. However, Knik-Goose Bay Road is a State-operated and maintained
facility. Therefore the Borough and the State would coordinate with one another to jointly
operate and maintain the transportation network in that area.
Similarly on the Anchorage side, the Municipality of Anchorage and ADOT&PF have a joint
project identified in the Anchorage Long-Range Transportation Plan (MOA 2005a) to
extend Ingra and Gambell Streets on a viaduct as far as Whitney Road. This AMATSsponsored
project provides an opportunity for joint development with KABATA in Phase 2
of the proposed KAC project. For more information, see Section 3.2.2.1.2.
3.4 Economic Environment
Although inextricably linked, the economies of the Mat-Su and Anchorage are quite
different. The Mat-Su’s derives its vitality from a variety of sources, the most prominent of
which is its role as residence-of-choice for many people who work in Anchorage or on the
North Slope. Commuter data show that 47 percent of Mat-Su workers are employed outside
the borough, and 75 percent of these are employed in Anchorage (KABATA 2005a).
Anchorage is Alaska’s largest city—the state’s financial, commercial, and cultural center as
well as its major transportation hub. The POA, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport,
the Alaska Railroad, and the highway system all combine to make Anchorage Alaska’s
primary distributor of goods and people.
In 2004, Anchorage experienced its 16th year of uninterrupted employment growth
(Fried 2005). The economic landscape is gradually broadening, with more retail trade and a
larger service sector. A wide range of economic and cultural opportunities associated with
major metropolitan areas is available. In recent years, broad-based activity appears to have
kept the economy on an even keel with no single project or handful of projects dominating
the economy.
The following sections provide additional information on the labor force and employment in
the Study Area, employment and output by industry sector, a discussion of the major
transportation facilities that might be affected by the proposed action, and a discussion of
trends in supply of and demand for housing and land in the Mat-Su and Anchorage.
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