McCarthy Road PEL Study

Project No: NFHWY00872

Final Planning & Environmental Linkages Study Report is now available

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Western Federal Lands (WFL) in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS) and the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF), worked together to identify future transportation and access improvements along the McCarthy Road, Chitina to McCarthy.

The study team conducted a Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) study that looked at current and future conditions and needs of transportation and access facilities along the McCarthy Road corridor within Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Preserve between Chitina and McCarthy. More information see the McCarthy Road PEL Story Map.

Final PEL Study Files

• Final PEL Study Report 10MB
• Final PEL Study Report Appendices 35MB

Background

The McCarthy Road Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study, conducted by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Western Federal Lands Division (WFL) in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS) and the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF), outlines a plan for implementing future transportation-related improvements along the McCarthy Road corridor. The PEL study is intended to provide a framework to help project sponsors prioritize and implement road corridor improvements in the future as funding becomes available. 

The study corridor is approximately 63 miles. It includes the McCarthy Road stretching eastward from Chitina to the Kennicott River for about 59 miles and another approximately 4 miles to the southern end of the Kennicott subdivision. The Kennicott subdivision is part of the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark (NHL) located within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve (WRST), the nation’s largest park and preserve. 

The McCarthy Road corridor is an important roadway in Alaska, providing community connections and access to private and public lands. The McCarthy Road is seasonally maintained by DOT&PF and is one of two roads into WRST. The communities of Chitina and McCarthy are located near the beginning and end of the study corridor, respectively, with a couple of smaller seasonal and year-round pockets of residents in the corridor. The McCarthy Road is the only surface transportation to McCarthy, though there is air access with the DOT&PF-owned airport in McCarthy. A summer seasonal uptick occurs in the corridor in population and visitors.

Largely following a former railbed, the McCarthy Road is a beloved road corridor by residents and visitors due to its history and the intrinsic values (such as scenic, visual, natural, rural) associated with WRST that are particularly appreciated by road users. 

This study identifies solutions to improve the road and resolve some identified issues.  Examples of these issues include narrow road width, poor road conditions, and natural hazards such as landslide areas and erosion near bridges. The McCarthy Road serves many user groups including, but not limited to, local residents, recreational users, property owners, miners, tourists, and WRST visitors. Improving safety and conditions and maintaining reliable access and road reliability are top goals identified during this study. 

Study Purpose and Goals

The PEL study’s purpose is to identify a list of roadway corridor transportation improvements that could be implemented in the future.

PEL Study outcomes include:

• Provide a framework that identifies prioritized transportation-related projects along the McCarthy Road and a plan to advance them.

• Bring together stakeholders and users of the McCarthy Road to improve communication and build relationships to identify transportation and access needs.

Schedule

The PEL study started in 2023 and was completed in late 2025.

Given the many needs and opportunities along this long road corridor, the PEL study sponsors (WFL, DOT&PF, and NPS) determined that using a PEL study would be an efficient way to prioritize future road corridor improvements. PELs are intended to be a flexible approach to better linking the planning and environmental review phases of delivering transportation projects.

The WFL, DOT&PF, and NPS prioritized seeking input from the public, stakeholders, tribal groups, and agencies; the analysis and results in this study reflect that engagement.