First contract awarded for the Port of Nome expansion project

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska District has awarded a $399.4 million contract to Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. for the first phase of the Port of Nome Modification Project.

According to the Corps, Kiewit will construct Phase 1A of the Nome Modification project – the first of four phases of the required construction to build the project.

The first phase will construct a 1,200-foot causeway extension with about 600 feet of dock face. Following this portion of the project, the Phase 2 dredging of the deep and outer basins up to minus 40 feet is next scheduled for construction.

“A robust and efficient transportation hub at Nome is foundational to the long-term viability of surrounding communities in the region,” said Col. Jeffrey Palazzini, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District. “We are committed to assisting the City of Nome by providing a reliable solution that improves the port’s navigation efficiency.”

The entirety of the harbor expansion project aims to provide larger vessels with improved access to Nome’s existing harbor and creating a new deep-water basin at a depth of minus 40 feet.

Dredging is required to deepen and maintain both basins and associated navigation channels. Currently, ship transportation is limited by existing depths in the outer basin of minus 22 feet. This depth is inadequate to safely accommodate vessels of drafts greater than about 18 feet.

The new port project will serve research and public safety purposes as well as an important pivot point for the nation’s military presence above the Arctic Circle.