Skagway ferry service suspended for ‘foreseeable future’
By Marissa Meilleur
‘Major structural damage’ to docking facility under assessment with no timeline for reopening yet
The Alaska Marine Highway System’s port in Skagway, Alaska is closed for the foreseeable future due to major structural damage to the docking facility.
While the port is closed, all ferry service to and from Skagway is suspended.
The South Klondike Highway, a route between Whitehorse and Skagway, is also closed between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. every day between Carcross, Yukon and the B.C. border following multiple rock slides last Tuesday.
Gabe Strong, the Alaska Marine Highway System’s public information officer, said cracking along the port’s vehicle bridge and passenger walkway was first observed on Thursday. He said staff were monitoring the damage when the Alaska Department of Transportation engineers closed the terminal Saturday due to further cracking.
Strong said leadership and technical personnel from the Alaska Department of Transportation are arriving in Skagway to oversee the response and support local staff.
He said commercial divers will soon arrive to inspect damage underwater, including on the anchor chains, and that electricians are disconnecting all electrical power to the float. The bridge and walkway should be removed by Wednesday, he said.
Strong said assessments will help determine the cause of the incident, at which time more information may be released.
There were no injuries, he said.
“The safety of our passengers and crew is our absolute highest priority,” Strong said. “Operations will only resume once the facility is thoroughly inspected and fully secure.”
While there is no timeline on when service will resume, Strong said once the damage assessment is complete, an update will be shared.
The Alaska Marine Highway System wrote in a social media post that its agents are contacting passengers with existing reservations to provide refunds and help arrange alternative travel plans.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Fort Simpson, N.W.T., ferry reopens after week-long closure, CBC News
Norway: Norwegian Arctic ferry lines to go electric by 2022, The Independent Barents Observer
