Alaska Governor Sean Parnell announced Saturday that Ketchikan-based Vigor Alaska will construct two new day ferries for the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS).
Construction of both vessels is scheduled to begin in October, and completion is estimated to take four years. Each vessel will be a 280-foot, "roll on–roll off" type passenger ferry, capable of carrying 450 passengers and up to 60 vehicles. The ships will cost $101 million to construct.
“I’ve lived in Ketchikan all my life,” said Ketchikan shipyard worker Norm Skan. “It’s such an honor to be building the first-ever ferry built in the state for AMHS. We’re going to knock it out of the park.”
The Ketchikan yard features a 130,000 square foot ship production facility designed to build ships upward of 500 feet in length. It includes an adjacent five-story production center to minimize material flow and maximize efficiency.
Once completed, the two ferries will serve communities along the Lynn Canal route between Juneau, Haines and Skagway.
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