The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and city of Nome, Alaska, have signed a partnership on a project that will address current limitations on vessel access due to inadequate harbor space.
Currently in the design phase, the Port of Nome Modification Project will deepen the port from minus 22 to minus 40 feet. The port can only currently accommodate vessels of up to 18 feet.
Port of Nome, also known as Nome Harbor, is located on the western coast of Alaska, 545 miles northwest of Anchorage. Because Nome is not connected to any of Alaska’s major road systems, expanding port facilities is important to providing goods and transportation services to surrounding communities.
“A more efficient transportation hub in the form of this port expansion will create opportunities to improve housing, food security and infrastructure by reinforcing the region’s supply chain, which will then enable an influx of important goods and lower prices for consumers across western Alaska’s communities,” District Commander Col. Jeff Palazzini said in a statement.
Port changes will include a new deep-water basin with an increased depth and enlarging the outer basin, which will require dredging. Plans also call for extending the west causeway and building an east causeway with a series of 400-foot docks attached. USACE plans to enter a construction contract for the project this year.
Vessel traffic in the area has more than doubled since 2009. Deepening the port, which is near the Bering Strait and the Arctic Ocean, will allow the Coast Guard to maintain their presence, benefiting both public and environmental safety.
Strategic Partnerships, Inc. can provide information on contract opportunities, plus existing and future government funding. For more information, contact research@spartnerships.com.
Photo courtesy of the city of Nome
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