At A Glance: Nome Port Expansion
- Key Visitor: Adam Telle, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works.
- Infrastructure: Construction of a 1,200-foot causeway extension with 600 feet of dock face.
- Project Goal: Create a deep-water basin at a depth of minus 40 feet.
- Regional Hub: Nome serves as a critical hub for western Alaska with no major road access.
- Phase 1A: Contract awarded in August 2025; Phase 2 dredging is the next scheduled step.
NOME, ALASKA — Adam Telle, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, visited Nome and met with local officials to observe and discuss the Port of Nome Modification Project on Mar. 25, 2026. Maj. Gen. Jason Kelly, deputy commanding general for Civil and Emergency Operations; Brig. Gen. Joseph Goetz, commanding general of the Pacific Ocean Division; and Col. Jeffrey Palazzini, commander of the Alaska District, also represented USACE at the event.
USACE awarded the contract for Phase 1A of the project in August 2025. The first phase of the project will construct a 1,200-foot causeway extension with about 600 feet of dock face. Phase 2, which will entail dredging of the deep and outer basins up to minus 40 feet, is next scheduled for construction. The City of Nome is the non-federal sponsor for this project.
The entirety of the harbor expansion effort aims to provide larger vessels with improved access to Nome’s existing harbor and create a new deep-water basin at a depth of minus 40 feet. Dredging is required to deepen both basins and associated navigation channels. Currently, ship transportation is limited by existing depths in the outer basin of minus 22 feet. This depth is inadequate to safely accommodate vessels of drafts greater than about 18 feet.
The proposed project aims to improve support for multiple maritime missions, cargo transportation, research and public safety, emergency and oil spill response and natural resource exploration by reducing draft limitations, increasing dock space to serve more vessels safely and to avoid delays and increasing navigation area to allow safe and efficient maneuvering for all vessels. The Port of Nome is a regional hub located on the Seward Peninsula and adjacent to Norton Sound, which is centrally located along the western coast of Alaska. Nome has no access to major road systems and is approximately 545 miles northwest of Anchorage.
