Interior Alaska Veterans Cemetery
Statewide Public Facilities are working together with the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) to plan, design, and construct a cemetery in the interior region of Alaska to serve veterans...
Statewide Public Facilities are working together with the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) to plan, design, and construct a cemetery in the interior region of Alaska to serve veterans across the State of Alaska, including the estimated 11,000 veterans who reside within 75 miles of the Fairbanks North Star Borough.
Location & Scope of Work
In 2022, the State identified and purchased a site in Salcha, Alaska about 30 miles south of Fairbanks off the Richardson Highway. The 257-acre hilltop site near Eielson Air Force Base was a former agricultural homestead and features sweeping views of the Tanana River Valley and the Alaska Range.
The cemetery will feature a maintenance and administration building with a public information center, a flag assembly area, memorial wall, 350 crypts, 250 in-ground burials, and 600 columbarium niches. Design of a committal shelter for use during funeral services is underway and will be constructed under the grant if funding allows or will be constructed during a future phase.
Project Timeline
The project is expected to be advertised in July of 2025, with construction completion in September 2027.
Additional Information
The project masterplan and design are under development by R&M Consultants, Inc, in partnership with specialty cemetery development subconsultant, G Brown and Associates, and several other Alaskan-based design firms.
Development of the state cemetery will be through the Veterans Cemetery Grants Program, issued through the National Cemetery Administration. In preparation for receipt of the grant, the State conducted permafrost, cultural, land, and wetland studies, and in January 2025, the State accepted a $15M grant opportunity, greenlighting design development.
Contact Information:
dot.salchacemetery@alaska.gov