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North Slope foothills road studies include east and west routes from Dalton Highway
Kristen Nelson
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities is in phase II of its resource transportation analysis for North Slope oil field roads. Mike McKinnon, project manager for the analysis, said Nov. 4 that with the ice road season shrinking on the North Slope, gravel two-lane roads would benefit the state by improving operations and encouraging further field developments.
Of four North Slope projects — a road to the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, a road to Point Thomson, and roads east and west off of the Dalton Highway into the foothills — the road to NPR-A is the furthest along. That project, McKinnon said, is a 20 mile road from the end of the North Slope Spine Road and a 3,300-foot bridge over the Colville River. The project includes adjustments to the Spine Road to improve the road’s arterial route function, including upgrades to security and maintenance operations. Cost is estimated at $120 million to $150 million.
The road to NPR-A is in the environmental impact statement phase, he said. EIS start-up is expected in January, a draft EIS in December 2005, the final EIS in July 2006, final design in August 2006 and construction in the fall and winter of 2006. Coastal road to Point Thomson report due On the east side, draft reconnaissance engineering/economic reports are due this month on a coastal route to oil and gas leases on state lands as far east as Point Thomson, with final reports due in January and baseline studies for design and EIS in March.
The route, McKinnon said, runs 55 miles, all on state land, and would provide the same benefits as access to NPR-A.
In the Foothills, the state is looking at a 45-50 mile road west off the Dalton Highway to the upper Kuparuk River. McKinnon said ice roads are impractical in the Foothills because of slope and terrain breaks.
This would provide all-season access to oil and gas leases on state land in the Brooks Range, leaving the Dalton Highway at milepost 357.
The state is also looking at a second route east from the Dalton Highway to provide access for oil and gas development there.
Both the Foothills projects are on standby awaiting a gas pipeline project. The Foothills are believed to be a gas-prone area.
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