Sullivan welcomes $183.4 Million in Federal Highway Funds to Alaska DOT

Senator Dan Sullivan welcomed the announcement that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), through the Federal Highway Administration, has redistributed a $183.4 million in federal funds to the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities.

In a press release from his office, Senator Sullivan said these funds will be used to deliver infrastructure projects that strengthen highway safety, preserve pavement, and improve access across the state.

Here in the Mat-Su Borough, the funds will also go toward advancing the West Susitna Access Road, a planned 78.5-mile industrial-use road. The project may be the first Alaska project to qualify for accelerated federal permitting under President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill”, now signed into law by the president.

In July. the Alaska Industrial Development Authority (AIDEA), applied for a federal permit to build the road. The new federal law requires that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers develop an Environmental Impact Statement and a Record of Decision for the road within a year.

The road project, which is being led by AIDEA, the state’s development finance corporation, is planned to be built into the western Mat-Su Borough into large areas of the western part of the borough that lack surface access.

The Cooper Landing Bypass will also receive funds.

As a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, Senator Sullivan has championed and worked to secure funding for many federal highway projects across the state.

“We have natural resources that exceed most major countries, yet we have fewer road miles than Connecticut, despite our state being 118 times the size. In my seats on both the Environment and Public Works and Commerce Committees, getting more infrastructure—including roads—built in our state so we can unlock our full potential is one of my top priorities,” said Senator Sullivan. “We’ve had great success securing major awards for transportation infrastructure projects, with hundreds of millions of dollars in long-term investments coming to our state, but more needs to be done.”

The Senator says he and his team have had conversations with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and his team about the many infrastructure challenges here in Alaska and the need to work working cooperatively with Alaska DOT to ensure that federal highway funds aren’t “bogged down by unnecessary requirements and red tape.”

“I want to thank Secretary Duffy for following through on his commitments and look forward to working with Alaska DOT to ensure that these funds are used to advance infrastructure projects that benefit our communities.”

These August redistribution funds allow states with shovel-ready projects to move faster, using existing federal funds to deliver more improvements. On a per-capita basis, Alaska ranked first in the nation in August redistribution funding.