BIG LAKE — Representative Kevin J. McCabe (R-D30), Monday celebrated the announcement of a $249 million federal Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant for the Port MacKenzie Rail Extension, a transformational infrastructure project located in House District 30.

Announced by U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan and U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, the award marks a historic milestone in the decades-long effort to connect Port MacKenzie to the Alaska Railroad system. This critical investment will open a new transportation corridor, expand access to domestic and global markets for Alaska’s vast natural resources, strengthen military logistics and national security, and provide much-needed resiliency and redundancy in Alaska’s transportation network.

“For years, we have fought to bring the Port MacKenzie Rail Extension across the finish line because we understood what this connection could mean for Alaska,” McCabe said. “Today, that persistence is paying off. This is more than a railroad. It is an investment in our economic independence, our national security, and the future of generations of Alaskans.”

Unlocking Alaska’s Resources and Economic Potential

The approximately 32-mile Port MacKenzie Rail Extension will connect the deep-water port to the Alaska Railroad network, providing new opportunities to transport minerals, timber, bulk commodities, construction materials, and other Alaska resources to domestic and international markets.

With approximately 25.6 miles of rail embankment already constructed and nearly $184 million in state investment, the project has long awaited the funding necessary to advance toward completion.

For Alaska’s resource industries, the connection represents an opportunity to overcome one of the state’s greatest economic challenges: access to reliable, cost-effective transportation.

The completed rail corridor will expand access to tidewater for Interior Alaska, create opportunities for private-sector investment, and strengthen Alaska’s ability to compete in domestic and global markets.

“Alaska has tremendous natural wealth, but those resources mean little to our economy if we cannot get them to market,” McCabe said. “Connecting our railroad to Port MacKenzie opens doors for resource development, new industries, and jobs that will benefit Alaskans for generations. We have already invested heavily in this corridor. Finishing what we started is both an economic opportunity and a responsibility.”

National Security and Military Readiness

The Port MacKenzie Rail Extension also represents a strategic investment in Alaska’s role in national defense.

Alaska’s military installations, including Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Fort Wainwright, and Eielson Air Force Base, depend on reliable transportation networks to support personnel, equipment movement, military logistics, and emergency operations.

A completed rail connection to Port MacKenzie would provide an additional transportation option for moving equipment and supplies, strengthening logistical flexibility and supporting the military’s ability to respond to changing operational needs.

As Alaska’s strategic importance to national defense continues, investments in transportation infrastructure are increasingly important to both military readiness and economic security.

Building Resiliency into Alaska’s Supply Chain

The project also addresses one of Alaska’s most significant infrastructure vulnerabilities: its dependence on the Don Young Port of Alaska in Anchorage for much of the freight and fuel serving Southcentral and Interior Alaska.

A major earthquake, natural disaster, or prolonged disruption to that port could severely affect the delivery of essential goods to communities, businesses, and military installations throughout the Railbelt.

Port MacKenzie, connected to the Alaska Railroad, would offer an additional transportation corridor and the potential for greater flexibility during emergencies, subject to the port facilities and operations needed to handle diverted cargo.

“We cannot afford to have so much of Alaska dependent on a single port,” McCabe said. “One major earthquake could disrupt the supply of food, fuel, and other essentials to hundreds of thousands of Alaskans. A resilient transportation system needs alternatives. This rail connection gives us an opportunity to build that redundancy, protect our communities, and strengthen our ability to support our military when it matters most.”

The rail extension is not simply an investment in moving goods more efficiently. It is an investment in Alaska’s ability to withstand disruptions and maintain critical transportation connections.

Years of Advocacy and a Commitment to Finish the Job

Representative McCabe has been a persistent advocate for completing the Port MacKenzie Rail Extension, working through legislative efforts, federal outreach, and collaboration with local governments, industry leaders, and transportation stakeholders.

His advocacy includes sponsoring House Joint Resolution 14, which passed the Alaska House unanimously and urged federal support for the Port MacKenzie Rail Extension and Northern Rail Extension projects.

Throughout his legislative service, McCabe has emphasized the importance of protecting Alaska’s existing infrastructure investments and advancing projects that provide lasting economic and strategic value.

“This project has never been just a line on a map to me,” McCabe said. “It is in my district, and I have seen firsthand the potential of Port MacKenzie and the opportunities this rail connection can create. I have never believed Alaska should walk away from an investment of this magnitude when the benefits of finishing it are so significant.”

McCabe credited the federal leadership and partnerships that helped bring the project to this milestone. 

“I am deeply grateful to President Donald Trump, Secretary Sean Duffy, Senator Dan Sullivan, Congressman Nick Begich, and the many federal, state, borough, and industry partners who recognized the importance of this project and worked to move it forward,” McCabe said.

He also recognized the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA), and the Alaska Railroad Corporation for their major roles in moving and advancing the project forward.

A Historic Investment with Statewide Benefits

Although Port MacKenzie is located in House District 30, the benefits of the rail extension extend well beyond the Mat-Su Borough.

The completed connection has the potential to strengthen Alaska’s resource economy, create new transportation options for Interior Alaska, attract private investment, support military logistics, and improve the resilience of the state’s supply chain.

For McCabe, the announcement represents both a milestone in years of advocacy and a commitment to seeing the project through to completion.

“This $292 million investment is a turning point for Alaska,” McCabe concluded. “We are opening a transportation corridor decades in the making, creating opportunities for our industries, strengthening our national security, and building infrastructure that will serve generations of Alaskans. I could not be prouder to have championed this project and helped bring this vision closer to reality. Alaska’s future just got a whole lot bigger.”

# # #