The Richardson Highway was designated as a State of Alaska Scenic Byway from Valdez to Glennallen in January 1998, after initial contact with local business and tourism groups. Designating the road as an Alaska Scenic Byway enabled byway groups, local communities or the state to apply for Federal Highway Administration discretionary grant funds for projects on the byway. State scenic byway designation on the Richardson Highway has resulted in identification on state highway maps and increased national marketing for highway travel on this extraordinarily scenic and historic route. Residents may have noticed increased awareness of the designation, and businesses may have noticed increased revenue from highway travel. Otherwise, relatively little has changed under the state designation.
National designation can result in increased business, revenue, and jobs from tourist dollars.
It can also provide a local voice in state decisions about the highway, and result in higher ranking for highway projects. Many communities around the country have chosen to pursue national recognition to receive economic benefits , or to balance tourism growth with conserving what people like about their communities. Since 1998, staff changed at the Alaska scenic byway program, as well as within some Copper River Valley tourism and business groups that were initially involved in the designation process. According to the National Scenic Byways program, byways must show local support and involvement in order to receive national designation. Reaction was mixed.