Construction is finally underway on the 18.9-mile, single lane gravel road to connect the Alaska Peninsula fishing village of King Cove with the all-weather airport at Cold Bay.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit last week denied a motion to halt work on the road, which King Cove residents have fought for the past 30-plus years.
The current segment is being built to land owned by the King Cove Corporation by more than 20 King Cove residents who have completed safety training and earned certificates from the Department of Transportation, and five community members who earned their commercial driver’s licenses.
“Our job is to turn this shared commitment into progress on the ground,” said DOT&PF Commissioner Ryan Anderson. “Seeing King Cove residents gain new skills and help build their own community’s connection is an important part of that progress.”
Funds for construction is included in an amendment to Alaska’s Statewide Transportation Improvement Program recently approved by the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration.
Residents have been fighting for the road for more than three decades to use as a land route to Cold Bay for medical emergencies, and when stormy weather makes it impossible for small aircraft to land in King Cove, which is about 120 days of the year.
“The King Cove to Cold Bay Road will provide King Cove residents with a connection to the all-weather airport at Cold Bay and the reliable air service that comes with it,” said King Cove Mayor Warren Wilson. “Seeing work begin on this road is an important milestone for the people who call King Cove home.”
The project is a partnership of the King Cove Corp. and The Aleut Corp., both of whom have land in the corridor, along with support of the King Cove Tribe, the city of King Cove, and the Aleutians East Borough, all of whom have advocated for the road for years.
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