Alaska Marine Lines (AML) has played a critical role in supporting major construction projects across Southeast Alaska, transporting millions of pounds of materials for healthcare, housing and aviation infrastructure developments.
Over the past three years, AML has barged a wide range of construction cargo to remote locations, helping enable the development of a new hospital in Sitka, along with residential housing projects and a major airport expansion in Ketchikan.
“Since the beginning of the project, AML has shipped over 13 million pounds of cargo to Sitka including structural steel, cement ISO tanks, trucks, machinery, and other construction materials for General Contractor Davis Constructors and ASRC Construction to build the new $400 million medical center,” said Kelly Moore, Alaska Marine Lines account manager in Juneau.
The logistics effort highlights the importance of marine transport in Alaska, where limited road access and geographic isolation make large-scale construction projects heavily dependent on coordinated shipping operations.
In Sitka, AML’s deliveries have been essential to the construction of a new regional hospital, designed to expand access to healthcare services across Southeast Alaska. In addition to transporting materials for the medical center, the company also coordinated shipments for housing developments tied to the project.
This included freight for two condominium buildings and 13 single-family homes intended to accommodate hospital staff. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned to mark the opening of the facility, which is expected to improve healthcare accessibility for residents in the region.
Project stakeholders emphasized the role of consistent logistics support in meeting construction timelines.
“Over the course of this project, ASRC Construction has shipped thousands of loads of materials through AML from Seattle and Anchorage to Sitka without issue,” said Russ Walls, project superintendent. “Weekly tracking updates, on-time deliveries and excellent customer service from local Driver Aaron Swanson and company has been outstanding. Without an excellent partner like AML we would have been unable to turn over this new facility to our client in a timely manner.”
AML is also supporting the expansion of the Ketchikan airport terminal, a project that will double the size of the existing facility. The company has already moved approximately 110 shipments for the project, with cargo weights ranging from 90 pounds to 54,000 pounds.
“We have moved most of the materials and equipment from Seattle to Ketchikan,” said Chas Allen, account manager in Ketchikan. “We’ll probably be in the 2-million-pound range when it’s all buttoned up.”
To date, AML has transported nearly 1 million pounds of freight for contractor Dawson Construction, with the project still at its midpoint.
The Ketchikan project presents unique logistical challenges due to its geography. The airport is located on an island separate from the city, requiring materials to be transferred via ferry. However, ferry capacity constraints limit transport to a single 40-foot trailer per trip, complicating delivery schedules and requiring precise coordination.
“The Ketchikan airport is unique. It’s on an island separate from the city, so moving the freight to the airport can be challenging,” Allen said.
Despite these constraints, AML has maintained consistent delivery schedules, ensuring construction progress remains on track.
“We are dedicated to supporting the construction industry in Southeast Alaska and proud to work with our contractor partners to complete these important projects,” Moore said.
The company’s work underscores the vital role of logistics providers in enabling infrastructure development in remote regions, where transportation challenges can significantly impact project timelines and costs.
Originally reported by Lynden.
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