Three years and three permits later, Ketchikan's airport ferry still has no backup berths

The ferry between Ketchikan and Gravina Island, which carries traffic to Ketchikan International Airport, ties up at a single set of berths — the structures it docks against to load and unload. The state has been trying to build a second set since 2023 and has not driven a pile.

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities told federal regulators on June 9 that the work had slipped again with none of it completed. It was the third time the department has reported no progress.

Regulators issued the department's third federal permit for the job on Aug. 12. It runs from Sept. 1 through Aug. 31, 2027.

The permit is a standard prerequisite. Pile driving and drilling carry underwater noise, and federal law requires an authorization before that work happens where marine mammals are present. This one covers 11 species, including humpback whales, killer whales and Steller sea lions, and allows disturbance only. Federal biologists found the work would not jeopardize listed humpback or fin whales and would not affect subsistence use. Take limits, mitigation and monitoring are unchanged from 2023.

The Ketchikan Gateway Borough describes the airport ferry as part of the larger Gravina Access Project, managed by the state. It runs every day.

The notice does not say when construction will start, or why it has been delayed.