$249 Million Federal Grant to Complete Port MacKenzie Rail Extension: 32-Mile Link Between Deepwater Port and Rail Main Line
Alaska's congressional delegation announced on Oct. 19 that the Alaska Railroad Corporation (ARRC) has been awarded $249 million from the Federal Railroad Administration's Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program to complete the long-delayed Port MacKenzie Rail Extension. Sens. Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Nick Begich announced the award with U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy at Port MacKenzie.
The project will build a 32-mile rail line connecting the deepwater port facilities at Port MacKenzie, in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, to the Alaska Railroad's main line. The total project cost is about $311 million, with the federal grant covering roughly 80 percent and the remaining $62 million coming from non-federal partners, including in-kind contributions from the Matanuska-Susitna Borough and cash from the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority and the Alaska Railroad. Sullivan said the link will support critical-minerals development such as antimony, major energy projects including Alaska LNG, and freight supply chains. Gov. Mike Dunleavy called it a more-than-$300-million infrastructure project for Alaska.
Secretary Sean Duffy announced the award at Port MacKenzie with Alaska Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski and Representative Nick Begich. The 32-mile extension will connect Port MacKenzie's deepwater facilities to the Alaska Railroad main line near Houston, Alaska, and covers project development, final design, right-of-way acquisition, and construction. A planned antimony and critical-minerals processing hub at the port would ship ore and concentrate from Alaska's interior over the new link.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: Wikimedia Commons 授权图（Port MacKenzie 地区实拍，资料图；作者 njwilson23，CC BY-SA）
