Copper Valley's first 20-year transportation plan lists $848 million in projects

The Copper River Valley Regional Planning Organization is taking public comment through Nov. 6 on its draft long-range transportation plan, which recommends about $848 million in road, trail, boat access and other projects for the region over the next 20 years.

About $436 million of that is listed for the first five years. The biggest items are state highway projects already on the state's list, including $58 million to rehabilitate the Richardson Highway between mileposts 65 and 80, which would replace the Tonsina River bridge. The plan also lists smaller projects, including $11.5 million to protect the McCarthy Road from erosion at the Kennicott River, roadside pullouts with restrooms and better boat access to the Copper and Klutina rivers.

The plan does not pay for anything. Its stated purpose is to tell the state Department of Transportation and Public Facilities what the region wants and to guide the organization's own work.

The region, home to about 2,650 people and seven tribal governments, has no city or borough government. The organization, a committee of the Copper Valley Development Association, was set up in 2022 as Alaska's first regional planning organization to give local residents a say in state transportation planning. The draft follows more than a year of public meetings, advisory group outreach and a region-wide survey.

Once the plan is final, the organization plans a regional transportation improvement plan for specific projects. The draft and comment information are on the association's transportation documents page.