On a recent Friday afternoon, a large bright pink and red container ship was docked at the Port of Anchorage. In just a few hours, it would begin its long journey back to Asia after leaving behind goods bound for all regions of the state.
The Port — recently renamed the Port of Alaska instead of the Port of Anchorage — is vital to the state. It handles more than 3.5 million tons of food, building supplies and all things that make life enjoyable and workable for Alaskans. It is also designated as a strategic seaport for the Department of Defense.
But what port officials want Alaskans to know is that the port is aging out of relevance quickly, perhaps to the point of obsolescence in the next 10 years. The question now is can port officials secure money needed to rebuild or replace key port infrastructure before major problems emerge?
“We’re certainly optimistic that we can,” said Port Director Stephen Ribuffo. “It’s a little bit of a race, but the whole thing does not have to be finished in order to make that deadline.”
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