A separated path toward Hatcher Pass would get walkers and cyclists off Palmer-Fishhook Road's dangerous shoulders

A planned 8.5-mile pathway would give walkers and cyclists a protected route along Palmer-Fishhook Road, away from what the Mat-Su Borough calls the road's "dangerous narrow shoulders." The route would run from the Glenn Highway to Edgerton Parks Road, serving traffic heading to Hatcher Pass, the Matanuska Valley Moose Range and the Government Peak Recreation Area, at an estimated $4.5 million.

The project just cleared a step forward: bidding closed Tuesday on a state contract to document the historic and cultural resources along the route — priced at $100,000 to $150,000 and covering the Trunk Road to Edgerton Parks Road segment, with the work running from about September 2026 into 2030. The borough listed the pathway in its 2021 Transportation Infrastructure Program and is seeking additional funding through the state's Transportation Alternatives Program; the schedule depends on that money coming through.

Beyond the path itself, the work may include grading, culverts and fish passage improvements, ditching, utility relocation, vegetation clearing, landscaping and signs.

The pathway is one of several Palmer-area efforts on highway safety and nonmotorized travel, alongside planned Glenn Highway safety and capacity improvements between Arctic Avenue and Palmer-Fishhook Road and pavement preservation on Palmer-Fishhook Road itself.