$112 Million Announced for Alaska Ports and Ferry Terminals
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-Alaska) today announced that four Alaska coastal communities will receive a total of $112 million in investments this year for critical port-related infrastructure and ferry terminal projects, marking the first wave of these type of investments attributable to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The awards, made possible by the IIJA’s investments in Alaska’s maritime infrastructure and supply chain, will benefit the Alaska Marine Highway System, coastal communities, supply chains and consumers across Alaska. The IIJA made a significant down payment in the nation’s maritime infrastructure, making $2.25 billion in additional funds available over five years to the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP), which is a key funding avenue for Alaska coastal communities. These new grants, from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration also received funding from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022.
“Ports, harbors, and the Alaska Marine Highway System are all essential to our state, serving as a lifeline that connects our coastal communities. That’s why I’ve prioritized doing what I can at the federal level to ensure we have the resources necessary to maintain and improve them. In my work as an appropriator and as a key architect of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, I’ve secured funding to help build, expand, and improve ports and harbors across our state to ensure that key ports such as the Port of Alaska and the Alaska Marine Highway System has the necessary support,” said Senator Murkowski. “These new Port Infrastructure Development Program grants will be the first of many additional opportunities to deliver vital port related infrastructure funding to our state that will bring benefits to Alaska for decades to come.”
“As I often say, Alaska is a resource-rich but infrastructure-poor state. The Port of Alaska is critical for Alaska’s supply chain and America’s national security,” Senator Sullivan said. “Serving as Alaska’s principal transportation hub for the vast majority of goods the U.S. military and Alaskans rely on, the port needs significant reconstruction to combat corrosion, something I’ve pressed repeatedly as a member of both the Senate EPW and Commerce Committees. Working together with Senator Murkowski and Congressman Young, we’ve been able to secure roughly $120 million in federal grants for the Port of Alaska in the last three years. I want to thank the Department of Transportation, the Maritime Administration, and the U.S. Transportation Command for taking action after I emphasized in multiple meetings with senior officials the critical role the Port of Alaska serves. I’m also glad to see the significant federal infrastructure dollars we secured being deployed for other port projects across the state that Senator Murkowski and I have long advocated for, including the Sand Point and the Port of Adak projects. These infrastructure improvements will provide several Alaska communities with the ability to safely and efficiently transport goods to and from their communities, benefitting both local communities and the national supply chain.”
“This grant award comes at a crucial time for the Port of Alaska and Municipality, as we work to rebuild and modernize Alaska’s most important piece of infrastructure,” said Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson. “The nearly $70 million Senators Sullivan and Murkowski secured will ensure we permanently fix the North End of the Port. Progress like this puts us one step closer to delivering food security for Alaska through a seismically resilient and modern Port of Alaska. My deepest thanks to our Senators for being tireless champions for the Port.”
GRANT RECIPIENTS (information provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation)
1. Port of Alaska (Anchorage): $68.7 million for the Port of Alaska, one of the nation’s commercial strategic seaports located in Anchorage, to reconfigure and realign the shoreline within the area north of the existing general cargo terminals as well as for the demolition of a sheet pile wall, removal of approximately 1.3 million cubic yards of material, and construction of a shoreline revetment of armor rock.
2. Port of Adak (Adak): $10.1 million for the Port of Adak, in the Aleutian Islands, for making repairs and updates to the primary supply pier as well as for planning and permitting work, removal of the deteriorated timber pile fender system, repairs to damaged concrete piles and caps, installation of a high-energy absorbing fender system, and installation of new sewer, firefighting water, potable water, electrical and communications utilities, and LED lighting.
3. Sand Point Floating Dock Project: $5.3 million for installing more than 1,000 feet of new floating dock and supporting access, utility, and safety infrastructure within the existing harbor. The Project will complete the Aleutians East Borough's long-term efforts to fully build out the community's harbor.
4. Prince William Sound ferry terminals (Cordova, Tatitlek, & Chenega): $28.2 million for upgrades and modifications at three Prince William Sound ferry terminals—Cordova, Tatitlek, and Chenega—to accommodate Alaska Marine Highway System ferries. The Cordova improvements include removal of floating fenders and construction of fixed-fender mooring dolphins and catwalks and modifications to the stern berth to accommodate the ferries. The Tatitlek improvements include the provision of new end-loading ferry terminal structures, including a vehicle transfer bridge and bridge support float. The Chenega improvements include the construction of a new ferry terminal facility, including a pile-supported approach dock structure, vehicle transfer bridge, bridge support float, and two mooring dolphins.
