In a related development, Sheffield said the port is in negotiations with a major international shipping company that plans to include a weekly stop in Anchorage on both legs of voyages from Vancouver, B.C. to Asia.

If plans move ahead, stops could begin as soon as late March or April, Sheffield said. He asked that the name of the company not be disclosed, but said it is "one of the 10 largest shippng companies in the world."

"It would give Alaska its first direct link with Asia," and allow businesses in the state to buy directly from suppliers in Asia rather than purchasing goods made in Asia which are shipped to the U.S. West Coast and then to Alaska, Sheffield said.

"This is not a done deal yet, but it could open all kinds of possibilities. We're working with the company to see if we can make it happen," he said.

Ships traveling the great circle route between North America and Asia cross the North Pacific take a route just south of Alaska, so a course deviation to Anchorage is not that great of an extension, Sheffield pointed out.

On the port expansion, Sheffield said work will begin this summer on a realignment of railroad track to the port to a location that will allow more efficient loading of containers onto rail cars than can now be accomplished. A new 110-foot railroad right-of-way has been negotiated to cross military land, improving rail access to the port, Sheffield said.

Depending on which plan for expansion is chosen, a new dock could allow the port to accommodate ships as long as 1,000 feet, Sheffield said.

One plan involves extending the dock into the inlet with a sheet pile and open-cell, gravel-fill structure that would cover 83 acres. Studies are now under way to see if that design meets earthquake protection criteria, and conclusions are expected this summer, Sheffield said.

If the open-cell design cannot be used, a more traditional dock expansion design will be relied on, he said.

A new barge dock is also part of the construction plan. It will be built at the northern end of the current facility, Sheffield said.

Dredging that is planned for the port expansion will deepen water near the dock to 45 feet from its current depth of 35 to 37 feet. A channel through a shoal near Fire Island would also be dredged to a 45-foot depth, Sheffield told the RDC.