DOD extends $10 million to Anchorage port development

DOD extends $10 million to Anchorage port development    The U.S. Defense Department's Office of Economic Adjustment has extended $10 million to the Port of Anchorage's infrastructure improvements.
   The funding will allow the port to complete the next phase of its $700 million renovation and expansion, which will add 18 acres of port property, the Transportation Department's Maritime Administration said in a statement on Thursday, announcing the DOD funding.
   'The port serves more than 80 percent of Alaska's population, with 90 percent of consumer goods flowing through it, and it is the major gateway for equipment supporting the state's energy industry,' MarAd said.
   The agency also noted that Anchorage is the 'load out port' for deployment of the Stryker Brigate stationed at Fort Richardson.
   'As part of the overall expansion and improvement of the port, dual-use facilities are being created, which will provide additional capacity for military staging areas during deployments, as well as commercial activities when not in use by the military,' MarAd said.