It’s official. The Skagway Borough will be getting some money from the federal government to make improvements to its industrial ore dock.
On Wednesday, April 22, the Skagway Borough was notified that it was approved for a 38.6 million federal Port Infrastructure Development Program (PDIP) grant to construct an industrial dock that will allow the transportation of heavy ore materials. The grant will enable to Municipality of Skagway to construct a new dock capable of handling heavier loads – a key factor in kick-starting its dormant ore shipping industry.
Mayor Orion Hanson hailed the news as an important step in the re-launch of the community’s ore shipping activities, and came at a great time as recently, Yukon-based Selkirk Copper hopes to begin shipping ore concentrate through Skagway as early as 2028.
“I think that this is a huge moment for Skagway moving forward as an industrial port and as a transportation corridor,” Hanson told KHNS.
Skagway applied for the PIDP grant via the Maritime Administration several times in the past.
“We’ve applied for that grant four or five times, and every year, gotten really good feedback, but were not awarded,” said Hanson. “And I think that this is a huge moment for Skagway moving forward as an industrial port and as a transportation corridor.”
The funds, which are part of a larger package of federal finds aimed at projects in the state,
Hanson said the new dock is necessary for transporting heavy loads, something the port has struggled with.
The municipality’s current ore dock isn’t able to handle heavy weights. The new dock will have a 1,000-pound per square foot payload capacity.
The new dock, according the municipality records, will be located next to the port’s old ore loader, which was deactivated in 2023.
A total of seven Alaskan projects were awarded PIDP funds.
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