Chena Lake Recreation Area Bicycle & Pedestrian Access Project

Project numbers NFHWY00862/0002542

Alaska DOT&PF is working with the Fairbanks North Star Borough and FAST Planning to design a new access point, parking lot, and non-motorized path at the Chena Lake Recreation Area, which is located northeast of North Pole. The proposed parking lot and path would be accessible via Plack Road, which will also be upgraded east of Nelson Road as part of this project. The new non-motorized path would connect the new access point to the existing facilities on the south side of Chena Lake.

This project is 91% federally funded through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) program with the 9% matching funds provided by the Fairbanks North Star Borough.

Figure 1. Project map showing the extent of Plack Road to be paved,
the new parking area, and new path.

What will it look like?

We’re working on that now and will share several concepts at our first public open house, currently planned for January 2025. We are working on designs that have up to 30 parking spaces and maintain as much vegetation as possible between the road and parking area. The paved non-motorized path will follow the lakefront south to the current day use area.

The Fairbanks North Star Borough expects the new facilities to be open during daytime hours only and monitored by rangers.

Why this project?

The Chena Lake Recreation Area, operated by the Fairbanks North Star Borough, is a popular community destination offering a variety of year-round recreation opportunities including fishing, trails, swimming, camping, skiing, ice fishing, and snowmachining. Despite how close the recreation area is to residential areas on its west side, its single access point from Laurance Road is four-mile one-way trip at a minimum for North Pole residents. Constructing a new access point closer to residences will reduce barriers to non-motorized access and decrease travel time to the recreation area.

Schedule

We expect this project will be constructed in the summer of 2026. We will host two open houses, one in January 2025 and one in May 2025 to solicit feedback on the design and construction phasing options.

We want to hear from you!

We will have multiple opportunities for you to get involved with this project’s development. Please sign up for our email list to be notified of public meetings and project progress. You are also welcome to email the project team any time with your comments:

John Netardus, P.E.
Alaska DOT&PF Project Manager
(907) 451-5448
john.netardus@alaska.gov