State begins emergency repairs at Skagway ferry terminal with no reopening date

Skagway has no state ferry service and no date for its return. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities is repairing the Skagway Ferry Terminal under an emergency contract, replacing six anchor chains, stabilizing the terminal float and repairing a cracked concrete abutment.

In an update Thursday, the department said concrete placement at the damaged abutment is anticipated as early as Saturday and crews are scheduled to begin installing the new anchor chains this weekend. Once the chains are in, it said, it expects a better understanding of the float's stability.

Both vehicle and passenger ferry operations remain suspended. Private operators are providing supplemental passenger service — walk-on passengers can use the Haines-Skagway Fast Ferry — but vehicles have no direct substitute; drivers must reach the ferry system by driving to Haines through Canada, subject to border-crossing requirements.

Engineers first observed cracking in the abutment supporting the vehicle transfer bridge and passenger walkway on Aug. 13. Further cracking led them to close the terminal on Aug. 15, which Alaska News reported at the time. The department said no injuries, vessel contacts or environmental releases were associated with the incident, and that the cause and full extent of the damage remain under assessment.

"Our goal is to restore service as quickly as possible, but the terminal will not reopen until the float is stable, the abutment is repaired, and our engineers determine the facility is safe," the department said Aug. 19.

A separate chain-replacement project was already pending before the closure. A state notice in March proposed replacing deteriorated anchor chain at 19 spots along the float, and at a July update DOT&PF's Kirk Miller said the work was awaiting Federal Highway Administration funding. The crack in the abutment, not the chains, is what forced the terminal shut.

Existing Skagway bookings are on hold. The terminal office in Skagway remains open for questions and reservations.