True Cost of Ambler Road

The Defend the Brooks Range Coalition released a third-party, independent report on the proposed Ambler mining road. The study shows the road could cost the State of Alaska more than $2 billion. This includes construction, maintenance, and financing.

The report, by LNE Engineering and Policy, finds that the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority’s (AIDEA’s) cost estimate is too low. Their per-mile assumptions are 1.5 to 3 times lower than those for similar proposed roads in remote Alaska, like the West Susitna and Nome roads. Using these comparisons, the Ambler road could cost far more than AIDEA predicts.

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.