Gov. Bill Walker has paused further spending on six high-profile projects in the face of the state’s $3.5 billion budget deficit.
He also cited concerns of the budget worsening as oil prices continue to drop.
The order was issued on Friday and the halt on spending includes a small diameter gas pipeline from the North Slope, the Kodiak rocket launch complex, the Knik Arm bridge, the Susitna-Watana hydroelectric dam, Juneau access road, and the Ambler road.
That hold is still pending further review but Walker’s budget director Pat Pitney said Alaska’s “fiscal situation demands a critical look.”
Pitney also said the administration also intends to decide on project priorities around January 20 when Alaska’s legislative session convenes once again but no later than a February 18 legal budgeting deadline.
