Skagway ferry port closed indefinitely; state gives no repair timeline

Ferry service to and from Skagway is suspended for the foreseeable future, and the state has not said when it will resume.

The Alaska Marine Highway System posted a service alert saying major structural damage at its Skagway docking facility has closed the port until further notice. The alert names no part of the facility, describes no cause and carries no date. On repairs, it says only that a timetable will follow once damage assessments are complete. It was still posted unchanged Saturday.

Terminal agents are contacting passengers with reservations about refunds, alternative travel and rerouting.

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities has issued no press release on the closure, and none of its 2026 releases names Skagway.

Skagway is the northern terminus of the Southeast ferry system and a scheduled port on Lynn Canal alongside Haines and Juneau.

A 2016 DOT&PF report on the terminal's structural condition identified cracked collars, failed welds and corrosion, and recommended replacing swivel beams and investigating concrete float repairs.

A July 20 department update listed a planned anchor-chain replacement at the terminal as still awaiting Federal Highway Administration funding approval. Nothing in the public record connects that project to the damage now closing the port.

No Skagway resident, business owner, borough official or engineer appears in the public record. The state's alert is its entire published account.