Skagway Ferry Terminal set to reopen Thursday

MV Hubbard and LeConte expected to make runs later this week 

Repairs made to the Skagway ferry terminal dock. (Photo courtesy of Gabe Strong / Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities)

By Jasz Garrett

Juneau Independent

The Skagway Ferry Terminal remains on track to reopen for service on Thursday, according to an update posted by the Alaska Marine Highway System on Tuesday. 

Crews completed repairs to all 19 anchor chains and secured the terminal float over the weekend. Hamilton Construction reset the vehicle transfer bridge and passenger gangway on Monday.

“The float and bridge are well aligned, and crews will continue monitoring float movement to determine whether any final adjustments are needed,” a service notice by AMHS states.

The ferry terminal reopening Thursday is pending completion of final operational checks, including the restoration of electricity and inspection of the float movement and its alignment following chain repairs.  

“It was fairly extensive repair work that was done there, so they just want to make sure that everything is holding up,” said Gabe Strong, an AMHS spokesperson. “They’re just doing their due diligence and making sure that it's going to be good to go.”

Strong said it’s hopeful the terminal will reopen Thursday, with schedules for the MV Hubbard and LeConte already being updated.

He said the Hubbard is expected to sail again starting Thursday and the LeConte by Friday, with service from the LeConte also available Sunday.

Strong acknowledged people attending the Klondike Road Relay likely already made alternate plans, but if anyone is going last-minute, “it looks like we’re going to be open and sailing.”  

The annual Klondike Road Relay, a 175-kilometer race from Skagway to the Yukon capital of Whitehorse, Canada, is scheduled for Friday and Saturday. Participants typically return to Juneau and other Southeast Alaska communities via the Skagway terminal on Sunday. Strong noted tourism employees rely on the ferry system as the cruise ship season comes to a close, as do Southeast residents year-round.

“The Skagway port is an important one,” Strong said. “It’s just like Haines and Skagway are the two ports here in Southeast where you can connect to the road system, so to have that go out was obviously a big inconvenience — a big hardship to a lot of people. I just think that AMHS would like to thank everyone involved in working really hard to get it back going again.” 

Cracks were first observed in the concrete abutment supporting the vehicle transfer bridge and passenger walkway on Aug 13. The Skagway ferry terminal has been closed since Aug. 15.

Strong said the repair was completed fairly quickly given what had to be done and thanked crews, engineers, contractors and AMHS staff. 

• Contact Jasz Garrett at jasz@juneauindependent.com or (907) 723-9356.