The next east-west corridor in the MAT-SU

PALMER— The second meeting with the public on the Bogard Road Extension East project is April 5, Thurs., from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm at Colony Middle School (9250 Colony Schools Drive).

The proposed Bogard Road Extension East project will add another east-west corridor across the Core Area of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.

The two-lane Palmer-Wasilla Highway is the only direct east-west route from Palmer to Wasilla. In its most congested stretch, the Palmer-Wasilla Highway has 17,000 vehicles moving through daily. (The average daily traffic count is highest from Hemmer Road to the Glenn Highway; followed closely on the Wasilla side by 16,500 daily vehicles from Hyer Road to the Parks Highway.)

This new corridor project will extend Bogard Road from the Trunk Road area, east to the Glenn Highway.

The Borough received about $13 million from the state Legislature last year to design and construct the project. The project is part of a larger program called Matanuska-Susitna Congestion Improvements. Preliminary project estimates for the Southern and Middle Alignment are about $35 to $40 million while the Northern alignment is about $75 to $80 million to construct.

At this stage, three alternatives are being considered: connecting to Arctic Avenue (Southern), connecting to Arctic from the north (Middle), and connecting to Marsh Road (Northern).

Northern route--Due to its exorbitant cost, significant wetland impacts and out-of-direction travel, the project team is recommending the Northern route be dismissed from further study.

Southern and Middle routes--The project team is recommending further study of the Southern and Middle routes to weigh purpose and need, cost, traffic circulation and impacts to wetlands, residential and agricultural areas, and schools. Regardless of which refined route is chosen, the project team will look closely at how to safely route traffic past schools. The team is considering how to minimize impacts to homes along Arctic Ave.

For more information contact Kristi Stuller of DOWL Engineers at (907) 746-7600 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.