Awarded through the Maritime Administration (MARAD), the funding will directly support seven high-priority projects across Alaska’s port system. MARAD will deliver the funds using the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) as the vehicle to enhance safety, efficiency and reliability of goods movement throughout the state’s various ports. The PIDP supports both planning and construction efforts in urban and rural communities, while reserving funding for smaller ports to help expand capacity and accommodate growing freight demand. Homer is one of seven port systems receiving grant funding through the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP). The other 6 ports are: Whittier, Anchorage, Skagway, Chevak, Port Mackenzie in the Mat-Su region and the Alaska Railroad Corporation also in the port of Whittier.
Last Wednesday, the city of Homer hosted three representatives from the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) from Washington DC. A site visit at the harbor to tour the floats slated for replacement in 2028 was conducted. MARAD is administering a grant through the federal Port Infrastructure Development Program in Homer that will help fund the replacement of Float System 4.
Port director Bryan Hawkins provided these details:
“The purpose of the visit was to connect with the grant administrators, with the community members of staff that are going to be managing the projects and the grant dollars, and it was extremely helpful because there's nothing better than an in-person meeting when you're trying to understand the rules and things like that. And so, you know, we've got direct contact people we can reach out to,” Hawkins said.
Float System 4 is the section of the harbor on the east side of the spit directly below the Harbor Master office. The system can be reached by Ramps 6 and 7.
“System Four is the float system below the harbor right here…the floats that we're replacing were original floats from 1964 when the state first built the harbor, and we've been patching them up and keeping them working all this time, but we're really looking forward to making this improvement. Customers will be, you know, they'll love it in the end, but it also means that we've got another 50 years there…We'll also be replacing Ramp Seven. That ramp lands at the double E float, and it's a 77 foot ramp. It's aluminum. It's open, and we'll replace it with a 110 foot ramp that will be covered,” Hawkins said.
“The other thing that we're doing in this project is we're extending AAA. We're extending this out and building another float called Double B, and so we'll be able to take advantage of this space here as well. Add a little bit more mortgage,” he said.
Work on the harbor will be conducted by contractor Turnagain Marine, based in Anchorage whose website description reads: “Turnagain Marine Construction is a marine engineering and construction firm founded in 2014 in Anchorage, Alaska, with a mission to revolutionize waterfront projects through innovative, efficient, and sustainable solutions…” Another project the company completed two seasons ago was Cordova’s Harbor rehabilitation project: the Small Boat Harbor was expanded from 425 to 727 slips and includes 96,000 square feet of new float surface for vessel docking and storage, along with an airplane float, according to an article in Alaska Business Magazine.
“We have almost all of our permitting in place, and then we'll be moving through the design, which is at somewhere about 50% now; we'll take the design to 95% and then move forward with contracting for the materials. You know, have the floats a big built probably in Washington, and then they have to be shipped here. So, all the materials, all the piling, everything has to be here before we start construction,” Hawkins said.
Contract construction on the harbor’s float system section is expected to start in the fall of 2027 with completion in the spring of 2028, Hawkins said.
Reporting from Homer, this is Emilie Springer.
