(ANCHORAGE, Alaska) – Construction is continuing on the first 2.8 miles of the King Cove to Cold Bay road after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit this week denied a motion to halt the work.

The segment is being built on land owned by King Cove Corporation. It is the first portion of a proposed 18.9-mile, single-lane gravel road that would connect King Cove to the all-weather airport at Cold Bay, a connection the community has sought for more than three decades.

“Our job is to turn this shared commitment into progress on the ground,” said Alaska DOT&PF Commissioner Ryan Anderson. “We’re working as one team with our community, Alaska Native corporation and federal partners to build this road safely and put local residents to work. Seeing King Cove residents gain new skills and help build their own community’s connection is an important part of that progress.”

Local hiring has been a priority on this project, with more than 20 King Cove residents having completed safety training and earning DOT&PF certificates, and five community members earning their commercial driver's licenses.

The Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration recently approved an amendment to Alaska’s Statewide Transportation Improvement Program that includes funding for the King Cove to Cold Bay Road.

“Our local airport is inaccessible due to weather conditions for roughly 120 days each year, making dependable travel for emergencies, medical care, and other essential needs difficult or impossible," said King Cove Mayor, Warren Wilson. "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. Seeing work begin on this road is an important milestone for the people who call King Cove home.”

The project is being delivered in partnership with King Cove Corporation and The Aleut Corporation, both landowners in the corridor, and with the support of the King Cove Tribe, the City of King Cove and the Aleutians East Borough, which have advocated for this connection for decades.

Project information, history, documents and updates are available at dot.alaska.gov/sereg/projects/king-cove-cold-bay.

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The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities oversees 237 airports, 9 ferries serving 35 communities along 3,500 marine miles, over 5,600 miles of highway and 839 public facilities throughout the state of Alaska. The mission of the department is to “Keep Alaska Moving.”