The Association of Village Council Presidents is working to develop a transportation corridor between the Yukon and Kuskokwim River systems in Alaska. The goal is to enhance connectivity among communities in the region and allow for travel, trade, and access to facilities. Stage I of the project found the corridor to be practically constructable. Stage II identified a preferred route and concept design. Stage III will involve further planning, outreach, and securing funding for design and construction. The estimated cost to complete the project is $150 million. Public meetings will gather local and traditional knowledge to inform the process.

1. Upnaurtukut “We are preparing the
region for the future.”
FACT SHEET
Association of Village Council Presidents
Yukon-Kuskokwim Freight and Energy Corridor Project
PROJECT SCOPE
The Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP) goal for
the Yukon-Kuskokwim Freight and Energy Corridor project is
to develop a practical link between the Yukon and Kuskokwim
River systems that will enhance connectivity among
communities in the region. The proposed corridor will allow
for travel, trade, and access to public facilities and other
modes of transportation within the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta
(Y-K Delta).
PROJECT BACKGROUND
The project started in 2009, when the community of Kalskag
requested that the Denali Commission’s Transportation
Program provide a reconnaissance study on connecting the
Yukon and Kuskokwim River Systems. The Denali Commission
suggested that AVCP provide Kalskag with transportation
planning support, and since then, AVCP has taken a lead role
in helping Kalskag move the project forward.
STAGEI: Completed in late 2011, the reconnaissance study
demonstrated practicality to construct a transportation
corridor in the Portage Mountains between the Yukon and
Kuskokwim Rivers. Various corridor options wereidentified.
STAGE II: Completed in September 2015, a Corridor Plan
documented the preferred route between the rivers, prepared a
concept design of the route, and documented the long-term
economic viability. Final selection of a transportation corridor
will be subject to a future environmental and public process.
CURRENT STATUS
STAGE III: DOWL will support AVCP in finalizing the planning
process, with a focus on completing the subsistence and
cultural resource studies, public outreach, identifying
potential barge improvement projects, and beginning the
corridor preservation process by coordinating with existing
planning efforts currently in progress at other agencies. The
Stage III tasks will help AVCP move forward with design, and
secure federal and state funding for future work.
BUDGET
The preliminary planning estimate to complete the design and
construction for the project is $150 million. The project is
being developed in accordance with Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA) guidelines.
Corridor Concepts from Stages I & II
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT APPROACH
AND SCHEDULE
DOWL will implement the Calista Elders Council Model that
will include a gathering of locals and affected communities to
share information on place names, cultural, subsistence, and
transportation stories from the elders. Ann Fienup-Riordan,
who has worked in the Southwest Yukon-Kuskokwim region
since 1976, and Calista Elders Council since 1999, will be a
key advisor in implementing this model. To the extent
practicable, all public meetings will be translated in Yupik.
Upcoming gatherings are as follows:
 March 12, 2018
Tribal Gathering—Bethel, Alaska
 March – May 2018
Topic Specific Gatherings (Holy Cross, Anvik, Grayling,
Shageluk, Chuathbaluk, Lower Kalskag, Upper Kalskag,
Russian Mission, Atmautluak, and Aniak)
To sign up for notifications about upcoming gatherings
or project milestones, please email
aspafford@dowl.com
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Clarence Daniel AVCP ● AVCP Project Manager ● (907) 543-7461 l
clarence@avcp.org
Adison Spafford ● DOWL Planning Lead ● (907) 562-2000
aspafford@dowl.com
Source: AVCP and
CH2M

2. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Please provide us with input on the project so we can develop a project that is appropriate for the Y-K Delta
benefiting all residents in the region.
What does the Y-K Freight Corridor Project mean to you?
What does the Y-K Freight Corridor Project mean to your community?
Other comments:
To receive project information, please provide your name, email, and postal address:
Name:
Address:
Email:
Telephone:
To submit comments, or for additional information contact: Adison Spafford, Transportation Planner
DOWL ● 4041 B Street ● Anchorage, Alaska 99503
Telephone: 907-562-2000 ● Fax: 907-563-3953 ● Email: aspafford@dowl.com