DNR signals intent to issue gravel contracts to Quintillion along Dalton Highway

Alaska's Department of Natural Resources posted notices of intent to issue two material sale contracts authorizing Quintillion Networks, LLC to extract a combined 30,000 cubic yards of material from two pits along the Dalton Highway.

The Northern Regional Office published both notices on July 2, 2026. Contract ADL 422883 covers milepost 305, authorizing 20,000 cubic yards. Contract ADL 422881 covers milepost 366.5, authorizing 10,000 cubic yards. Both issuances are subject to AS 38.05.555, and the extraction activities are authorized pursuant to 11 AAC 71.090(d). The notices represent stated intent to issue the contracts, not final executed agreements.

Quintillion builds and operates subsea and terrestrial fiber-optic networks across the Alaskan Arctic, connecting to the Lower 48. The Dalton is the only road to Prudhoe Bay and the corridor Quintillion has used to extend terrestrial fiber toward the Arctic coast. In 2024, the company applied for a private easement for an existing fiber-optic cable already installed on state land along the highway, with public comments invited at the time.

The gravel notices come as GCI Holdings, LLC moves to acquire Quintillion, a deal announced in April 2026. GCI said the combined network would include more than 1,800 miles of existing subsea and terrestrial fiber and about 1,500 miles of planned expansion, and that the transaction would advance GCI's mission to deliver reliable connectivity for Alaskans. Separately, researchers and conservation advocates have raised broader concerns about permafrost disturbance, altered hydrology, and habitat fragmentation from ground-disturbing work and linear infrastructure in Arctic terrain. Those concerns are not addressed in the July 2 notices.

Haley Evans, a natural resource specialist with DNR's Division of Mining, Land and Water Northern Region Office, is the designated contact for both contracts.