been able to accommodate a regular schedule of cargo delivery to Alaska's Railbelt. Operations have never been stopped due to icy conditions. History The Port of Alaska began operations in September 1961, and in its first year over 38,000 tons of marine cargo moved across its single berth. It was the only port in South Central Alaska to survive the 1964 Good Friday earthquake and became the main shipping hub for consumer and essential goods entering southcentral Alaska. The Port has since expanded to a five-berth terminal providing facilities for the movement of containerized freight, iron and steel products, bulk petroleum, and cement. The peak of the port's operations occurred in 2005 when, for the first time, more than 5 million tons of various commodities moved across its docks. The port celebrated its 50th year of service in 2011. In the late 1990s, following studies of then-existing and projected future needs, geotechnical and structural design studies and an Environmental Assessment prepared under the direction of the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD), the final Environmental Assessment identified a proprietary design known as Open Cell Sheet Pile (OCSP) as the preferred alternative for the wharf and berthing area of the new expansion project. Construction began in 2006 in an area known as the North Backlands. Installation of the OCSP system began in 2008, the result of which was creation of a barge berth and approximately 60 acres of new land. The existing port was substantially built in the late 1950s and is reaching the end of its useful life. Beginning in 2017, the Port of Alaska is undertaking an extensive 7-year Anchorage Port Modernization Project to upgrade its aging infrastructure, support larger deeper draft vessels, and future proof the port seismically and environmentally for another 75 years. Carriers Anchorage is served regularly by two major carriers, Matson Navigation Company (formerly Horizon Lines, Inc.) and Totem Ocean Trailer Express (TOTE), which bring four to five ships weekly from Tacoma, Washington. Petroleum tankers supply jet fuel for airport operations, barges on-load petroleum products for western and Interior Alaska, and ships from Japan and Korea call frequently, transporting construction materials, pipeline for the north slope, or loading refined petroleum. Connections Rail Direct connection to Alaska Railroad, a Class II railroad serving South Central Alaska and Interior Alaska. Truck Nearby truck access to the Alaska intrastate highway routes: Alaska Route 1 North-East bound, the Glenn Highway to