Matanuska Susitna Borough Mayor Larry DeVilbiss says he was taken by surprise last week by Anchorage’s suit against the Knik Arm Crossing. DeVilbiss says he’s in talks with city mayor Dan Sullivan to find a solution to the municipality’s concerns about having the bridge have its city side situated at the Port of Anchorage.
The municipality of Anchorage filed a lawsuit against the federal government over the proposed Knik Bridge project, which would link the Borough and the city. The suit seeks to have the court require the Federal Highway Administration set aside its decision made last December in favor of the bridge project, and send it back to the FHA for further investigation.
DeVilbiss says concerns about the Port of Anchorage expansion plan prompted the legal action.
DeVilbiss says it’s too early now to tell what all the options are, but there seems to be room for both port and bridge
Sullivan is on record in support of the Knik Arm Crossing. DeVilbiss, who took office in February, said he didn’t know there were unresolved issues at the port concerning the bridge design.
DeVilbiss says the matter is getting priority attention now, and he has hopes it will be resolved as quickly as possible.
The Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority on Thursday sent out a request for companies to submit their qualifications to be chosen as developer of the proposed project.
APTI Reporter-Producer Ellen Lockyer started her radio career in the late 1980s, after a stint at bush Alaska weekly newspapers, the Copper Valley Views and the Cordova Times. When the Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound, Valdez Public Radio station KCHU needed a reporter, and Ellen picked up the microphone.
Since then, she has literally traveled the length of the state, from Attu to Eagle and from Barrow to Juneau, covering Alaska stories on the ground for the AK show, Alaska News Nightly, the Alaska Morning News and for Anchorage public radio station, KSKA
elockyer (at) alaskapublic (dot) org | 907.550.8446 | About Ellen
