Port of Alaska modernization projects continue this summer
Director says they expect to award contract to build first cargo terminal by end of the month
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The Don Young Port of Alaska director said they anticipate a busy summer as they prepare to head into the next phase of their modernization project.
Director Steve Ribuffo said the entire project will likely take another decade to complete at a cost of at least $2 billion.
“This project is a marathon, it’s not a sprint, and we are going to be in it for another 10 years, if we are lucky only 10 years,” Ribuffo said. “There may be some fits and starts but everybody’s going to keep an open mind.
The modernization program includes replacing four aging terminals and stabilizing an extension on the north side of the port which failed and was the subject of a lawsuit against the federal government over shoddy work. Ribuffo said much of the work to remove metal sheeting and fill in unstable land on the north extension has been completed.
The final phase to construct an armor rock wall to further stabilize the area will happen this summer. In addition, Ribuffo said, necessary demolition will wrap up.
“This summer we are going to finish the demolition of the old facilities that are on the area that was the original port in 1961. We need to clear that whole area off and make it safe for the staging of materials that might be used for construction when we get in the water in 2026 to start the construction of the first new cargo dock,” he said.
Replacing and building two modern cargo docks is perhaps the most important part of the modernization project. The city had hoped to start building the first dock this summer but received no bidders when the project was initially put out for bid. Ribuffo said a retooled request for proposals was successful with a contract award anticipated by the end of April.
In November the city announced it had received a $50 million grant from the federal government to help pay for the first cargo terminal. Ribuffo said there are stipulations about when that money can be spent.
“We have to be careful about what we do ahead of time because now that there’s federal money involved there are some wickets we have to jump through and the contractor will have to work through all of that with us,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t do anything it just means we have to be very judicious about what we do.”
In January the port began collecting surcharges from shipping companies to help finance the project after the Assembly approved the action. Ribuffo said the money will be used to help offset funds the city may need to borrow to complete the project.
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