THE ALASKA STORY
Sept. 19, 2026 – Construction equipment is moving and King Cove residents are going to work on the first 2.8 miles of the long-sought road toward the all-weather airport at Cold Bay.
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities confirmed Friday that construction is continuing on the initial segment, which is being built on land owned by King Cove Corporation.
The Alaska Story reported Thursday that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals had rejected an environmental group’s latest attempt to stop the work.
With that immediate legal obstacle cleared, the focus in King Cove has shifted from the courtroom to construction on the ground.
“Our job is to turn this shared commitment into progress on the ground,” DOT Commissioner Ryan Anderson said. “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,” he said.
More than 20 King Cove residents have completed safety training and earned DOT certificates for the project. Five community members have also earned commercial driver’s licenses.
The 2.8-mile segment will extend the existing road system toward Cold Bay and includes the project’s only planned bridge, an approximately 150-foot structure near mile 2.6.
It is the first section of a proposed 18.9-mile, single-lane gravel road that would eventually connect King Cove with the Cold Bay airport. Residents have sought that connection for more than three decades, primarily as a dependable route for medical evacuations and essential travel when weather closes the smaller King Cove airport.
“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,” King Cove Mayor Warren Wilson said.
“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,” Wilson said. “Seeing work begin on this road is an important milestone for the people who call King Cove home.”
The Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration recently approved an amendment to Alaska’s Statewide Transportation Improvement Program that includes funding for the road.
The project is being carried out in partnership with King Cove Corporation and The Aleut Corporation, both landowners along the proposed corridor. The King Cove Tribe, City of King Cove and Aleutians East Borough also support the project.
Additional legal and permitting work will be required before the entire road can be completed.
