The Manh Choh mining prospect near Tetlin is one of those Alaska political issues that is an absolute firestorm in one region of the state, and almost unknown everywhere else. Pretty much everyone you meet in the Interior has an opinion about the project, which is owned by Fort Knox Gold Mine operator Kinross and partner Contango Ore.
However, there are a few aspects of the Manh Choh plan that go far beyond the state’s regular pro-business tack. The state is spending federal Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act funding — as well as a required state match — on replacing five bridges along the trucking route, at least two of which have no need of replacement under regular traffic.
Here in Southcentral, we’ve seen the rutting that takes place on the Glenn Highway and other major thoroughfares simply because of. And as a nod to that heavier impact, drivers who buy studded tires pay a fee to the state at the point of purchase. Would it be impossible or improper to assess some similar toll given the outsize impact of the ore trucks on the highways they traverse?
If the state wanted to recoup funds to account for the increased wear and tear on our highways, it would have to do so by increasing a tax burden borne nearly entirely by regular Alaskans who don’t use the roads any more than they did before.