3.0 Affected Environment - Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority

Knik Arm Crossing DraftFinal EIS
Affected Environment
Alaska Railroad. The third-largest sector in Anchorage is construction, accounting for
$1.7 billion of output.
3.4.1.2 Transportation
The build alternatives could affect three transportation components of the area economy: Port
MacKenzie, the POA, and the Alaska Railroad. This section discusses the roles these
components play in the overall regional economy.
3.4.1.2.1 Port of Anchorage
The POA is owned and operated by the Municipality of Anchorage. The port serves
80 percent of Alaska’s populated area, from Homer to the North Slope—including the major
military installations—by means of rail, road, and air cargo connections, and handles more
than 90 percent of all consumer goods sold in the state. In terms of economic impact, the port
generates more than $750 million each year (POA 2005a). The POA provides employment
for 21 municipal workers. 26 In addition, more than 1,400 people are employed in jobs related
to port activities, such as shipping, stevedoring, and other occupations (USDOT 2005).
To increase the efficiency of transporting goods into and out of Anchorage, the Municipality
is preparing to undertake a 6-year port expansion and modernization project with cooperative
funding from the federal government, state grants and bond guarantees, port profits, and port
revenue bonds worth nearly $236 million (see Section 3.2.1.2.1) (POA 2005a).
Although upland expansion is planned, POA facilities and land will be fully utilized by 2020
(Northern Economics, Inc. [NEI] 2004). Sufficient berthing capacity will be available beyond
that year, but the POA will not have space for further expansion. The POA expansion is
designed to provide additional capacity for container cargo; thus, the port will continue to
have limited capacity for handling bulk commodities.
3.4.1.2.2 Port MacKenzie
Port MacKenzie is a deep-draft marine port owned by the Mat-Su Borough. The port is
located on Knik Arm across from the POA. The port consists of a 500-foot bulkhead and
9,000 acres of adjacent uplands, which are available for commercial lease. A $13 million
deep-water dock completed in 2005 augments a $7 million barge dock built by the Borough
in 1999 (White 2005a).
The first major user of the port facilities was Alutiiq Manufacturing Contractors, LLC, a
builder of modular homes and portable buildings.
In 2001, North Pacific Industries, Inc., executed a lease agreement with the Mat-Su for a
wood chip loading facility at the port (Bauman 2005; White 2005b). In exchange for
financial contributions toward the development of the port’s deep-water dock and conveyor
26 Personal communication, Roger Graves, Government/Environmental Affairs, POA, with Donald Schlug,
June 23, 2005.
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