I’ve long wished for some easy way to cross the Susitna River here in the southern part of the great valley that bears that river’s name; there are millions of acres of largely untouched lands there, with world-class hunting and fishing. If I live long enough, I may yet get my wish.
Now, the Susitna West project is getting underway.
Alaska’s Department of Transportation and Public Facilities has started preliminary work on the planned West Susitna recreation and access road and a new Susitna River bridge.
If built, the planned 22.5-mile road would begin on the West Susitna Parkway in Big Lake and extend to the new bridge and several miles beyond. It would create vehicle access to recreation areas as well as lands owned by the Matanuska-Susitna Borough on the west side of the Susitna River.
An environmental assessment for the project is underway and will be available for public review later this year, state Transportation Commissioner Ryan Anderson said in an interview last week. Contractors are now drilling test holes to gather geotechnical information for the bridge. The project is estimated to cost $100 million.
It’s too early to get too excited about this. There are people who live out there, in places like Skwentna, who like things being as they are, isolated, and I can’t blame them. But this is something I’ll be watching. And, of course, I can always just go up north and mooch around the west side of the Susitna up around Petersville, where there is some pretty good grouse hunting.
Alaska Man score: 3 of 5 moose nuggets, if only because I may not live to see this happen.
Read More: Alaska Man Monday: Beaver Ponds and Lost Seals
Now, onto dumb crooks, Alaska edition. Now, here’s something you don’t see every day.
On 7/20/2026 at approximately 21:22, the Alaska State Troopers took a report of a disturbance from a residence on Scout Lake Loop Road that John David Corr (8/23/1983) came to his house and shot his generator destroying it because he didn't want to sell it to him. Troopers responded to find an older model gas generator that had bullet holes in it. John David Corr returned to the scene after troopers arrived intoxicated on an ATV.
OK, that’s a pretty Alaska thing. Not smart, but still an Alaska thing. The report goes on:
John refused standard field sobriety test. John had bloodshot watery eyes, was unsteady on his feet, smelled of alcoholic beverages, and had slurred speech. John also was armed with a Ruger 1911 45 caliber pistol. John was placed under arrest for DUI, MIW4x2, Criminal Mischief in the 5th degree, transported to AST post for datamaster test. John refused to provide a breath sample, was charged with refusal, transported to Central Peninsula Hospital for a legal blood draw and later remanded to Wildwood Pretrial facility. Leaving the scene of the incident John made threats that his victim would be hanging from his rafters before he got out of jail, He made threats to hurt and kill troopers children stating that if you wanted to hurt someone you should go after their kids, and also enroute to the hospital he stated that he would murder inmates in jail.
Well, he ain’t getting out anytime soon. And that’s as it should be. Alaska, though, unlike some jurisdictions, doesn’t take stuff like this lightly.
Alaska Man score: nil for John David Corr. 5 moose nuggets for the cops that dealt with him.
Read More: Alaska Man Monday: Tsunamis, Dumb Crooks, and Oxygen
Coming up next: Alaska and high water.
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