On Friday, November 21, Mayor Sullivan and executive members of the Anchorage Port Modernization Program (APMP) team presented the concept plan for the Port of Anchorage (POA) to the Anchorage Assembly.
Following a week-long Concept Planning Charrette in August to identify operational constraints, known risks, and user priorities, the POA stakeholder group identified three concepts that meet the requirements of technical experts and Port users.
In early November, the APMP Concept Evaluation Committee selected the most suitable option and recommended the path forward to Mayor Sullivan.
More than 50 individuals representing Port users and vessel operators, technical and subject matter experts, and POA and Municipality of Anchorage (MOA) leadership participated in this effort, including a Program Management Consultant team led by CH2MHILL.
"This port infrastructure is critical to the state. Uniquely, there is no other port in Alaska more capable, centrally located or affordable for shippers and consumers," said Mayor Dan Sullivan. "Alaska needs to invest in modernizing this port to ensure dependable cargo service for Southcentral Alaska and beyond for upwards of 75 years."
"We appreciated the frank and open discussions held between the Port staff and all the users that culminated in arriving at a concept that is acceptable to all. Collectively seeing the value in this new plan is vitally important to success moving forward," said Port Director Steve Ribuffo.
"The CH2M HILL team is pleased to have been part of the concept planning process. We feel that the selected concept offers the best value for the Municipality of Anchorage in terms of cost, maintaining Port capabilities and tenant operations during construction, as well as the long-term reliability of this critical Alaska asset," said CH2M HILL 's Lon Elledge, Project Manager for the APMP.
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The Port of Anchorage is Alaska's lifeline, providing a majority of goods and materials to Alaska's population including railbelt communities, rural towns and over 200 villages across Alaska. It is the major point of entry for containerized cargo in Alaska and fuel for Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Ted Stevens International Airport and Southcentral and Western Alaska. Annually, around 240,000 containers move through the Port
Lindsey Whitt, Director of External Affairs
Port of Anchorage
Phone: 907-343-6205 Cell: 907-433-9543
E-mail: whittla@muni.org
