80 people show at Port Mac Rail open house

 More than 80 people attended an open house for the Port MacKenzie Rail Extension Wed., April 24, at Houston Middle School. Guests looked over several display boards on the project learning about the 17 crossings and culverts for trails & access. They saw which construction firms are on the three segments already under construction, and read about the highlights of each of the six segments.

Iditarod Sled Dog Race Champion Martin Buser attended the meeting and said the project "enhanced" trails. When the project team first introduced the rail project to the public some six years ago, maintaining trail connectivity was a promise. Buser's neighbor, Bob Jones, said early on the approach for trail crossings had 90 degree angles for snow machines. Today the approaches have incorporated gradual turns to allow a sled dog team access. "The Railroad listened. It's really good. They made a lot of changes," Jones said. "It's easier to snow machine than before."

Residents came for various reasons. One couple attended who want to ensure that an undesignated trail near their home is not maintained. A Houston City official expressed concerns about the upkeep of Millers Reach Road given the heavy truck equipment that will be on it. A representative from Granite Construction assured the official that a grader will be ready to smooth out the road if any damage occurs during hauling this summer.

Firewood, for the resident and the small commercial sales businesses, will be available for sale from the project and elsewhere. Already 4,000 cords of wood is getting prepared for sale. For more information go to the Borough's Public Notice page.

Contact Ray Nix, Resource Specialist at the Borough, 745-9863 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

View the Port Mac Rail display boards to learn about each segment of the project.

The 32-mile rail link will connect Port MacKenzie to the mainline of the Alaska Railroad near Houston. Increased rail freight activity, and development stimulated by the rail link, will benefit railbelt communities through increased employment, contributions to state and community tax base, and economic diversification. The MAT-SU Borough has acquired the $141 million in state legislative appropriations for the project, to date. The Alaska Railroad Corporation is the project's applicant and co-manager of the project. A team of 20 or more Borough employees, Railroad employees, and contractors have been working on the project for some six years.

Photos: Top: the crowd looking at the displays; right: Iditarod Champ Martin Buser sharing laughs with a friend; bottom: Mike Pochop, Vice President Hanson Engineering, gives insight into an undesignated trail which a couple does not want maintained. By Patty Sullivan/MSB

For more information call Public Affairs Director Patty Sullivan 745-9577 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.