Alaska’s congressional delegation announced on Tuesday that $104 million will go towards port and maritime infrastructure projects around the state.
According to a joint press release from Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan as well as Rep. Mary Peltola, the funding is spread across six coastal communities: Anchorage, Dillingham, Hoonah, Juneau, Kodiak and Saint Paul.
“With so many communities across the state inaccessible by road, ports are essential to our supply chain and distributing key resources that Alaskans need,” Murkowski said.
Anchorage will receive the largest cut by far, about $50 million for a new general cargo terminal at the Port of Alaska. Each of the others will receive about $11 million towards their respective projects.
In Juneau, that includes $11.1 million for a drive down float and vehicle bridge and two new 5-ton electric cranes at Aurora Harbor downtown. Those additions will support the commercial fishing fleet and improve freight transportation.
The money headed to Kodiak will go to the St. Herman Harbor on Near Island. While the project is expected to cost about $60 million, the new funds will make up about 18.3 percent of the total needed.
The funds are appropriated through the federal government’s Port Infrastructure Development Program. That’s part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that was signed by President Joe Biden back in 2021.