The King Cove to Cold Bay Road is a proposed 18.9-mile, single-lane gravel road segment that would connect the community of King Cove to the all-weather airport in Cold Bay, Alaska. The full trip between King Cove and Cold Bay Airport would use this new segment along with existing roads. Alaska DOT&PF is developing the project, and current early work is state-funded.
On September 16, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit denied a motion for injunctive relief, allowing construction of the first 2.8 miles to proceed while the appeal continues. That segment is located on land owned by King Cove Corporation.
Construction is planned in phases over multiple seasons: material preparation and stockpiling, haul-road construction, completion of the first approximately three miles of public road, and then the remaining connection.
The road is designed as a single-lane gravel roadway with intervisible turnouts for safety. It includes necessary drainage structures and one bridge, with eight culverts designed for fish passage. Gravel for construction would come from dedicated material sites outside and within the corridor.
THE CHALLENGE
King Cove is isolated in a way
most Alaskans never experience
King Cove is a community with a 2020 population of 757 on the Alaska Peninsula, predominantly Aleut, with no road connection to outside communities. The community's small airstrip is frequently closed due to severe weather, which is common in the Aleutians. When flights are grounded and a medical emergency occurs, there is no safe or reliable way to get someone out.
THE SOLUTION
Delivering a connection
King Cove has long sought
King Cove is not connected by road to any other community, leaving residents dependent on small aircraft and marine transportation, both frequently affected by weather. Cold Bay Airport offers world-class, all-weather aviation infrastructure, including a 10,000-foot runway built to military specifications that can accommodate large jet aircraft. The airport also serves as an important alternate and emergency diversion airport for transpacific flights, including aircraft operating through Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, one of the world's busiest cargo hubs. The proposed road segment, together with existing roads, would give residents reliable ground access to this exceptional regional asset, improving connections to medical care, essential services, and the broader air transportation network in this extremely remote area of the world.
WHY THIS ROAD
One road. A community's reasons
THE ENVIRONMENT
Protecting people and place
The project has been the subject of extensive federal environmental review, including analysis of its effects on the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge and the species that depend on it. Alaska DOT&PF is committed to responsible design that respects the ecological significance of this area.
The King Cove to Cold Bay Road has been decades in the making, rooted in the needs of a remote community on the Alaska Peninsula seeking reliable access to emergency medical care. What began as a community's call for a safe connection to Cold Bay has grown into a major infrastructure project, carried forward by the persistence of local leaders, tribal advocates, and state and federal partners. Explore the pages below to learn more.
