Federal grant of $526,433 will refit the backup ferry on the Hollis-Ketchikan run

The Inter-Island Ferry Authority's original vessel is due for a refit. The Federal Highway Administration has awarded $526,433 to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities to refurbish the MV Prince of Wales, bring the vessel into regulatory compliance, and update several passenger accommodation spaces and equipment, according to the federal award record posted on USAspending.gov. A $131,608 non-federal share brings the job to $658,041. The record types it a project grant under the federal highway aid program.

The grant, award ID 693JJ22540000Y95BAK9500166, runs through June 30, 2028; the record lists no start date. The recipient of record is the state department in Juneau, a conduit for federal surface transportation dollars. The vessel itself belongs to the Inter-Island Ferry Authority, which runs daily service between Hollis and Ketchikan.

That daily run is the M/V Stikine's. The authority describes the Prince of Wales, which entered service in 2002, as its original vessel and says it "continues to support operations as a backup vessel."

The grant is separate from the more than $410 million awarded to the Alaska Marine Highway System across six state applications, including $161.2 million for operations and $153.4 million toward a replacement for the MV LeConte, announced by Alaska's congressional delegation and the governor on Aug. 21. This award is far smaller, aimed at a single day boat, and the place of performance is Ketchikan Gateway.

The record states no disbursement schedule. It establishes obligation and an end date, not a shipyard calendar.