New Alakanuk Airport opens
Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
Alakanuk City Manager Hilda Stern cut the ribbon to officially open the new $30 million Alakanuk Airport in front of Alakanuk residents Sept. 28. From left, Construction Group Chief Scott Leigh, Aviation Design Group Chief Ryan Anderson, Alakanuk Mayor William Lamont, Sr., Northern Region Director Steve Titus and Alakanuk City Manager Hilda Stern.
Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
The Alakanuk Airport, providing service to residents and seasonal workers, officially opened Sept. 28, with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) completed the project with funding from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
The Alakanuk community gathers Sept. 28 for the official opening of the new airport.
The newly constructed and relocated Alakanuk Airport boasts a number of economic benefits for the community of about 680 at the mouth of the Yukon River. Larger aircraft can land on the 4,000-foot runway bringing fuel and freight deliveries, and will facilitate faster transportation of fish product from the Yup’ik Eskimo village to market.
The reconstruction, which included demolishing the old airport and building the new airport, runway and snow removal equipment building, was a high priority for DOT&PF.
The project improved the safety of airport maintenance and operations.
DOT&PF contracted with PDC Engineering, Inc. for design and Bering Pacific Contractors, Knik Construction and Ridge Contracting for construction. Work on the $33 million project began in 2002 and was completed in September 2012, with the new runway opening Sept. 17.