A conformity freeze on federal highway funding for the Fairbanks area has been lifted after nearly two years, according to a letter from the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration.

The conformity freeze impacted how Fairbanks Area Surface Transportation Planning could adjust its budget on specific projects. The Environmental Protection Agency slapped the freeze in early 2024 as part of a suite of sanctions after a state air quality plan for the Fairbanks/North Pole area was partially rejected.

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation submitted the air quality plan as part of its requirement to show it will reduce overall 24-hour levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) by the end of 2027. Fairbanks has been designated a critical non-attainment area

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