Yeah, someone else already corrected me..My bad...The Alaskas were designed to be "super-heavy" cruisers.
The Montanas, though, would have been awesome ships.
What people fail to realize about the BB's they can be more cost/mission effective from an ordnance standpoint. When the Iowas were in sevice NSWC Dahlgren had developed and under development a whole series of rocket assisted munitions which could be effective up to 117 miles.
The ideal modernized Iowa could have this done (Wisconsin and New Jersey):
Updated electronics: add new communications, radar, countermeasures, and fire control.
Upgrade 16 inch armanent: new powder, new munitions, service the existing new units.
Upgrade secondary armament: remove 5" mounts and replace with automatic 5" 62 cal. Can carry 25,000 rounds of ammo and increase rate of fire. Reduce manpower.
Upgrade missile armament: Retain 32 round ABL launchers, 16 Harpoon launchers and add 64 cell Mk 41 VLS aft of C Turret. Could increase Tomahawk load to 50-60 missiles. Remaining cells can be a mix of ASROC, Harpoon, and Standard missiles. Add two Sea Sparrow launchers in the existing stern 40-mm gun tubs.
Upgrade engineering: Fuel system has already been changed from original C-bunker to gas turbine fuel (marine diesel). Upgrade reduction gearing and redesign new propellors to get a few more knots.