Industrial Roads Program Introduction Updated 8/24/04 Click here to view the latest program update, viewable as a slide show. (2mb)

Introduction and Background
The Industrial Roads Program (IRP), also known as "Roads to Resources," began in March 2003, after Resource Transportation Analysis (RTA) conducted for the Northwest Alaska Transportation Plan indicated several promising possibilities for transportation and resource industry partnerships to benefit Alaska's economic development, revenue and employment. In 2001-2002, DOT&PF examined:

• energy and mineral projects in Northern Alaska to see if investment in transportation could accelerate resource development
• access to resource sites and transport of resources to world markets
• traditional overland road and rail routes as well as new transport modes and project-specific port/road models

Two projects now in the environmental review/design stage, Colville River Road and Yukon-Kuskokwim Road Project and one project under construction, Nome Glacier Creek Road, are early products of RTA Phase II. Each of these projects has a web page yoou can link to from the navigation bar to the right.

As a result of analyses conducted in RTA Phase I, the projects listed below are in detailed planning-stage analysis. This work includes reconnaissance engineering and project funding identification. More information is available by following the link on the right to other IRP projects.

• Bullen Point Road and Foothills Road East
• Foothills Road West
• Red Dog Zinc Mine Port Expansion-Delong Mountain Terminal
• Deadfall Syncline Coal Mine Haul Road
• Noatak Airport and Road for Red Dog Mine
• Ambler Gold-Copper Access
• Pebble Gold-Copper Port and Road

Organization
To develop industrial roads, a DOT&PF taskforce of senior planners, engineers, legal staff and support staff has been set up in the department to focus on industrial road projects. DOT&PF Planning staff will continue to work with the coalition of public and private groups interested in the IRP projects. They will also pursue funding packages, and legislative actions related to project streamlining processes and other public policy objectives. DOT&PF Design staff will set up and manage consultant-engineering contracts for the projects. All actions are designed to move projects through planning and design processes and into construction efficiently, responsibly and expeditiously.

Send email to Mike McKinnon, Industrial Roads Program Manager