Alaskan port sees cement shipments jump by a third

Alaska’s Don Young Port saw cement shipments increase by around one-third in 2023, compared to the previous year. The port handled almost 155,000t of cement last year, accounting for about 80 per cent of the cement used in Alaska. According to Anchorage Daily News, this marks the highest volume of cement shipped across the port since at least 2007.

If the last 12 months are anything to go by, 2024 should bode well for Alaska’s construction industry. Four vessels carrying cement usually arrive in the port over a 12-month period, but five arrived in 2023 and a further five are expected to arrive in 2024. Among Alaskan construction projects in the pipeline in 2024 are a new US$200m cargo facility at Anchorage’s international airport and a US$300m runway extension at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, a US military facility located in Anchorage.