Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski has reopened highway maintenance stations that were closed after a series of budget cuts last year, The Anchorage Daily News reported Dec. 12. However, the stations will operate with far less money than they had last year.

The Department of Transportation closed the stations and reduced winter rural highway maintenance after the Legislature leveraged $6.5 million in cuts from the proposed budget for transportation from former Gov. Tony Knowles.

The state will add back $200,000 that had been taken from the budget for snow removal in Anchorage. In addition, the state will reopen maintenance stations in Ninilchik, Birch Lake and Chitina, increase maintenance operations at Montana Creek and Willow, and add cash for maintenance on the Denali Highway, the Ruby-Poorman Road, the Elliott Highway and roads in the Nome area and Southeast Alaska, The Daily News reported.