Media Contacts

Office of the Commissioner
Meadow Bailey
Communications Officer

• Phone: 907-451-2240
• E-mail

Northern Region
Caitlin Frye
Public Information Officer

• Phone: 907-451-5307
• E-mail

Central Region
Shannon McCarthy
Media Liaison, Admin Ops Manager

• (907) 269-0448
• E-mail

Southcoast Region
Sam Dapcevich
Public Information Officer

• (907) 465-4503
• E-mail

Alaska Marine Highway
Sam Dapcevich
Public Information Officer

• (907) 465-4503
• E-mail

Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
Eland Conway
Development Specialist

• Phone: 907-266-2694
• E-mail

Fairbanks International Airport
Melissa Stepovich
Communications & Marketing Manager

• Phone: 907-474-2500
• E-mail

2019 Press Releases

November 2019

• Nov. 21: Thankful for Seat Belt Safety: Alaska Achieves a 94.1% Seat Belt Usage Rate
• Nov. 21: AMHS to Move Forward with Repairs to the M/V LeConte; Thorough inspections show that the LeConte will cost less to repair than the M/V Aurora.
• Nov. 20: Small Jet Aircraft Operations on East Ramp at Fairbanks International Airport
• Nov. 15: AMHS M/V Tazlina to Service Parts of the Northern Panhandle
• Nov. 15: DOT&PF to Host Juneau Open House on Egan / Yandukin Intersection Improvements; Tuesday, Nov. 19th event features area traffic study results and next steps
• Nov. 14: Holiday Travel Tips from Fairbanks International Airport
• Nov. 13: Emergency Culvert Replacement on Seward Highway at Moose Creek MP 32.9; Repairs will require overnight closures from Sunday, Nov. 17 through Tuesday, Nov. 19.
• Nov. 8: You Asked, We Listened! A Mamava Lactation Suite Has Been Installed at FAI
• Nov. 4: Fairbanks International Airport Continues Trend of Record-Breaking Passenger Numbers
• Nov. 1: AMHS Vessel Repairs Will Impact Service to Communities

October 2019

• Oct. 30: Another Record-Breaking Summer for the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
• Oct. 24: Commissioner MacKinnon's Comments on the Closure of Silvertip Maintenance Station
• Oct. 24: AMHS Announces Long-Term Layup of M/V Malaspina
• Oct. 16: AMHS will Temporarily Resume Service to Prince Rupert; Sailings are scheduled for Oct. 29 and Nov. 25.
• Oct. 15: AMHS Economic Reshaping Report Scheduled for Public Release in December
• Oct. 9: UPDATED: Cost-Saving Lighting Curfew Extends to Glenn Highway between Anchorage & Mat-Su; DOT&PF continues expanding street light outages to save general fund dollars.

September 2019

• Sept. 26: DOT&PF to end seasonal maintenance in October; Maintenance will end Oct. 1 on the Denali Highway, McCarthy Road and Eureka/Rampart Road; Oct. 15 on the Taylor Highway
• Sept. 17: DOT&PF Deputy Commissioner John Binder Appointed Chair of NASAO; NASAO is a dedicated group of airport executives who have made significant contributions to the aviation industry.
• Sept. 13: Alaska DOT&PF Recognizes National Truck Driver Appreciation Week; In Alaska, 94% of communities depend on trucking to receive goods.
• Sept. 12: Anchorage International Airport Explores Public Private Partnership to Operate International Terminal
• Sept. 5: AMHS Winter 2019-20 Schedule is Open for Booking; AMHS creates schedule to provide the maximum level of service possible.
• Sept. 4: AMHS Ending Service to Prince Rupert; AMHS is unable to meet requirements for U.S. Customs in Prince Rupert.
• Sept. 4: Reduced Fuel Tax Revenue Requires Closure of Silver Tip Maintenance Station on Seward Highway; Plowing during winter storms in Turnagain Pass will be prioritized

August 2019

• August 30: American Airlines to Offer New Summer Seasonal Service to Dallas and Chicago in 2020
• August 8: Alaska Marine Highway System Has Resumed Regularly-Scheduled Service
• August 2: State and Inlandboatmen’s Union Reach Tentative Agreement on Contract (Dept. of Administration)

July 2019

• July 30: State Security Office Warns of Fraudulent Text Messages Targeting AMHS Passengers; Passengers are advised that AMHS will never ask for credit card numbers.
• July 29: State, Federal Mediator and IBU Hold Weekend Contract Negotiations; Still no deal to end illegal strike and restart the Alaska Marine Highway System (Dept. of Administration)
• July 26: State Reminds Striking IBU Members About Pending Loss of Free Health Coverage (Dept. of Administration)
• July 24: State Warns Inlandboatman’s Union its decision to Strike is Illegal, Unprotected (Dept. of Administration)
• July 24: State of Alaska, Inlandboatman’s Union at Impasse After Multiple Rejected Contract Offers (Dept. of Administration)
• July 22: Economic Impact of Alaska’s Aviation Industry
• July 17: Cost-Saving Lighting Curfew Extends to C Street in Anchorage; Department continues expanding street light outages to save general fund dollars.
• July 15: DOT&PF Seeks Public Review of 2019/2020 Winter Ferry Schedule; Comments Due July 26th; Public Teleconferences on July 29th
• July 13: DOT&PF Commissioner Corrects Capital Budget Inaccuracies: Construction projects currently under contract are not impacted by FY2020 Capital Budget
• July 12: Media Advisory; DOT&PF, State and Local Officials, and Sitka Organizations Host Ceremonial Kick-Off of the Katlian Bay Road Construction Project
• July 2: All Lanes of Juneau's Egan Drive Will be Open Over 4th of July Weekend; Sidewalk access will be limited on the mountain side of Egan Drive

June 2019

• June 28: DOT&PF, Local Officials, and Residents Celebrate Completion of Ketchikan's Water Street Trestle #2 Reconstruction; Ketchikan Youth Open Ceremony with Color Guard and Cut Ribbon
• June 26: Media Advisory: DOT&PF, Partners, and Residents to Celebrate Completion of Ketchikan's Water Street Trestle Replacement
• June 17: Field Work Starts Monday, June 17 on Seward Highway Rockfall Hazard MP 104-114; Weekday Lane Closures in June on Seward Highway to Complete Geotechnical Work
• June 5: Alaska DOT&PF Starts Construction on Glenn Highway Capacity Project; Expect southbound shoulder closures starting Monday, June 10
• June 4: DOT&PF urges public not to cross rock slide on O’Brien Creek to Haley Creek Trail near Chitina; The slide that occurred three miles past the bridge at the start of the trail is significant and unstable.

May 2019

• May 15: Airport Operators’ Council to Host Aviation Day
• May 15: The Denali Highway is Open for Public Travel; Drivers are encouraged to check road conditions at 511.alaska.gov before traveling
• May 6: Governor Dunleavy Proclaims May as Aviation Appreciation Month in Alaska
• May 1: AMHS to Hold Open House on M/V Tazlina in Juneau, Open House Scheduled for May 5, 2019
• May 1: DOT&PF Opens McCarthy Road to Public Travel; Drivers are encouraged to prepare for remote travel and drive slowly.

April 2019

• April 23: Alaska DOT&PF Extends Application Deadline for Local Projects
• April 16: DOT&PF to Host Super Open House in Fairbanks; This event will highlight upcoming 2019 road construction projects in the Northern Region
• April 15: DOT&PF refines design for Knik-Goose Bay: Centaur Avenue to Vine Road Project; Design concept available for review, public meeting planned for May 16, 2019
• April 9: Alaska DOT&PF Recognizes Work Zone Safety Awareness Week
• April 8: Minnesota Drive Lighting Curfew Saves State Dollars; Department concludes successful pilot program; expands lighting curfew to other highways
• April 4: M/V Tustumena Return to Service Delayed; Extensive damaged steel on the vessel means more repair is needed. Vessel will return to service May 18, 2019.

March 2019

• March 29: Wolfgang Junge Named Alaska DOT&PF Central Region Director
• March 29: The Taylor Highway is Open to Eagle; Drivers are encouraged to check road conditions at 511.alaska.gov before traveling
• March 27: DOT&PF closes drainage site at MP 109 Seward Highway due to safety concerns; Crash risks and increased rock fall creates a public safety problem at drainage site
• March 20: Alaska DOT&PF Issues RFP for AMHS Economic Reshaping Consultant
• March 19: Alaska DOT&PF Southeast DBE & Subcontractors’ Conference
• March 18: Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport Projects Significant Increase in Passenger Capacity this Summer
• March 15: Alaska DOT&PF Accepting Applications for Local Projects
• March 8: King Salmon Private Well Sampling Notice

February 2019

• Feb. 22: Public Meeting Notice - Drinking Water

January 2019

• Jan. 31: Anchorage International Airport Reports Record Passenger Numbers and Solid Air Cargo Growth in 2018
• Jan. 24: PFAS Discovered in Groundwater on Airport Property at the King Salmon Airport; One well, on airport property, tested above the DEC action level.
• Jan. 18: PFAS Discovered in Groundwater Near Dillingham Airport Firefighting Foam Discharge Areas, DOT&PF immediately offering alternate water source; expanding testing.
• Jan. 16: AMHS to Save Money with Vessel Swap
• Jan. 7: Alaska DOT&PF Issues Citation to Commercial Driver in Seward Highway Bridge Strike
• Jan. 6: Northbound Seward Highway at Tudor Road overpass remains closed for repairs
• Jan. 4: Seward Highway Northbound Lanes Closed at Tudor Road overpass; Ongoing repair work indicated further damage to the girder struck by dump truck
• Jan. 3: Seward Highway, Tudor Overpass Inspected; Repair Work is Required; Traffic patterns will change.
• Jan. 3: Lane Closures on the Seward Highway and Tudor Road; Closure is due to a bridge strike, bridge inspectors are on-site.

 

Archives: 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012

For questions regarding the Newsroom: DOT&PF Chief Communications Officer, (907) 465-3900