Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities

TransportationX

Project Overview

The West Susitna Access Road (WestSu Access) project is an exciting vision for the future, currently undergoing a thorough assessment. This proposed approximately 22-mile public frontier road would open more than 6 million acres of State lands west of the Susitna River, connecting directly from the existing road system, with bridges spanning waterways such as the Susitna River and convenient boat launches providing access to the public.

The project’s primary objective is to unlock the region’s potential. Increased public access is expected to fuel growth in sectors like recreation and tourism, as well as possible future resource development. This initiative aligns with Alaska’s Constitution, which champions infrastructure development to maximize land use and economic opportunities for all.

The WestSu Access project team launched a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process in July 2024. At a minimum, the process develops and reviews the project purpose and need, formalizes the proposed route, identifies environmental and cultural resources to determine potential project impacts, and engages the public outreach to inform recommendations and design.
To learn more about the NEPA process, visit the EPA’s NEPA website. 

Check this website regularly for updates as the project progresses and sign up for our mailing list for project updates sent directly to your email.

This project was originally studied by DOT&PF in 2013/2014 West Susitna Surface Access Reconnaissance Report. In recent years, the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) advanced a project in the area for the purpose of developing an industrial road. The current DOT&PF WestSu Access project will benefit from the earlier environmental studies and other work completed by both DOT&PF and AIDEA; however, DOT&PF’s current WestSu Access project is independent of the AIDEA project and is focused on public access to State lands. To learn more about AIDEA’s project, visit their website and check out the West Susitna Access infrastructure development page.