There’s concern that big dollar funding for the Tanana River bridge at Salcha will cost Fairbanks money for other transportation projects. The state has pumped over $80 million into the Alaska Railroad project. It’s aimed at eventually extending the railroad to Delta Junction, and providing the military year round access to training grounds. It’s been billed as a statewide project, but State Representative Tammie Wilson told a Fairbanks Metropolitan Area Transportation System Committee that’s not how the money is viewed in Juneau.
Fellow local state representative, Steve Thompson told the committee Governor Sean Parnell has already indicated other Fairbanks projects may suffer because of additional bridge money added to the state capital budget last month.
Thompson and Wilson are especially concerned about $7 million put in the capital budget for city of Fairbanks road upgrades. The funding was not specifically labeled as a city project, out of concern it would be targeted for a veto. Governor Parnell is in the process of going over the $3 billion capital budget, and has previously indicated he wants to axe $300 million in projects.
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Dan Bross is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.
