The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has awarded a $399.4 million contract to Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. for the first phase of the Port of Nome Modification Project in Alaska. The project, funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, is designed to create the first deep-draft port in the U.S. Arctic region.
Phase 1A will extend the causeway by 1,200 feet and add about 600 feet of dock face, laying the groundwork for dredging and basin deepening in later stages. Subsequent phases will deepen the outer and deep-water basins to minus 40 feet, enabling larger vessels to safely access the harbor. Current depths, limited to minus 22 feet, restrict vessels with drafts greater than 18 feet.
The modification project, to be built in four phases, will enhance navigation efficiency, expand research and public safety operations, and strengthen U.S. military presence north of the Bering Strait. Once complete, Nome will serve as the only deep-water Arctic port between Dutch Harbor and the Arctic Ocean, a critical capability given increasing commercial and defense activity in the region.
USACE revised the construction plan after a prior three-phase approach was deemed too costly, adjusting design specifications to reduce expenses. The City of Nome is the project’s non-federal sponsor.