Report: Ambler Road Project Costs Could Exceed $2 Billion

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is set to remove two longstanding public land orders in order to support the Alaska LNG pipeline and the Ambler Road that would access mineral deposits in Northwest Alaska. https://t.co/T0Dw7gqLxz

— Anchorage Daily News (@adndotcom) February 24, 2026

As Alaskans are divided among several potential mining, logging and drilling projects the Trump Administration has been pushing, with at least one exception being a less enthusiastic reaction to the proposed Pebble Mine. The controversial Ambler Road, which would cross several Brooks Range-area rivers ands caribou habitats between the Dalton Highway and a mining operation the Trump administration has been in favor of, could soon become a reality. A new report details what that road construction could cost. Here are some details from Defend the Brooks Range Coalition:

For Immediate Release

March 09, 2026
New Report Projects Ambler Mining Road to Cost Alaskans Over $2 Billion

ANCHORAGE – Today, Defend the Brooks Range Coalition released a third-party report, detailing the realistic and enormous projected cost to the State of Alaska of the proposed Ambler industrial mining road. Adjusting for inflation, the report updates the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority’s (AIDEA’s) previous cost estimates to more than $2 billion, including maintenance and financing costs.

The report, developed by LNE Engineering and Policy, also found that AIDEA’s cost estimate used a cost per mile for the proposed Ambler road that is between 1.5 to three times lower than estimates used by two other proposed Alaska roads in remote regions with comparable terrain – the proposed West Susitna road and the proposed road to Nome (all cost estimates updated to 2025 values). Those other cost per mile estimates suggest the price of the Ambler road would be much higher than AIDEA’s estimate.

AIDEA proposes paying for the vast bulk of the 211-mile Ambler mining road by selling bonds, leaving the state responsible for repayment regardless of the success or failure of the speculative mining district.

Lois Epstein, LNE Engineering and Policy, Anchorage, Alaska:

“This report tells us that AIDEA has significantly underestimated the cost of this private road to a speculative mining district. Additionally, mining interests have not committed to pay back the state for the full cost of this problematic road project.”

John Gaedeke, Owner of Iniakuk Lake Wilderness Lodge in Gates of the Arctic National Park, Fairbanks, Alaska:

“Committing $2 billion or more in public funds for a private industrial road will bond a sales tax to all Alaskans and deepen the financial potholes of mineral revenue. Clearly AIDEA’s fear of oversight and fiscal accountability are justified.”

Maddie Halloran, State Director at Alaska Wilderness League:

“This report tells us what we already knew – this road is a bad deal for Alaskans. After widespread opposition from Alaskans during the environmental impact statement process, it’s adding insult to

injury to have this project pushed through to benefit foreign mining companies. This isn’t economic growth for our state, it’s a giveaway that puts corporate profit ahead of Alaska’s communities and our environment.”

READ THE FULL REPORT

Here are some more details from the cost of the project:

A third-party report updating AIDEA’s cost figures and including expected financing costs indicates the proposed Ambler road would cost over $2 billion dollars. If the estimated cost per mile of other proposed remote roads is used, the cost of construction more than doubles.1

The Ambler road is a proposed 211-mile road to connect the speculative Ambler Mining District to the Dalton Highway. The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA), a state agency subject to legislative oversight, intends to finance the road through public bonds.2

• ?  AIDEA’s Estimated Road Cost Adjusted for 2025 Prices is $2.034 billion
  • ?  $765.2 million construction costs
  • ?  $88.4 million closure/reclamation costs
  • ?  $12.6/year maintenance costs for 50 years-at least $630 million.
  • ?  Additionally, $549.9 million in financing costs because AIDEA expects to issue revenuebonds to finance road construction.
• ?  A $2 billion dollar cost estimate is likely to be a very significant underestimate
  • ?  The Estimated Cost Per Mile of Other Comparable Remote Roads Are Much Higher(2025 values)
    • AIDEA estimates the cost per mile of the proposed Ambler road to be $3.6million/mile.
    • The proposed Western Alaska Access road (the road to Nome) is estimated tocost $5.6 million/mile.
    • The proposed West Susitna Access road is estimated to cost $10.3 million/mile(average of multiple estimates).
  • ?  The estimated cost of the proposed Ambler road does not include the cost of crossingNANA and Doyon lands, bridges or culverts needed when fisheries studies are completed, or continued inflation.
• ?  The state will be responsible for the cost of the road.
  • ?  AIDEA proposes paying for the vast bulk of the road by selling bonds, leaving the stateresponsible for repayment regardless of the success or failure of the speculative miningdistrict.
  • ?  Mining interests have not committed to full repayment via tolls and have minimallycontributed to road development costs to date.1 Estimating Ambler Road Construction, Maintenance, and Financing Costs, Lois Epstein, LNE Engineering and Policy, Anchorage, AK, January 2026.

2 An Economic Analysis of the Proposed Alaska Ambler Access Road, Power Consulting Inc., 2022