Long awaited ferry service will return to Cordova every other week this summer, beginning with the arrival of the M/V Kennicott at 11:15 p.m. on July 3, state transportation officials said.
The last time Cordova residents saw an Alaska Marine Highway System ferry was when the M/V Aurora departed on Sept. 19.
“The schedule is very fluid right now with the COVID-19 situation,” said Sam Dapcevich, spokesman for AMHS, on Tuesday, April 28.
“The crew is practicing social distancing and cleaning of the vessel is much more frequent, using CDC (Centers for Disease Control) approved cleaning fluids, and they pass through the vessel frequently,” he said. “We are trying to provide at least essential service.”
The Kennicott will depart for Whittier at 2:45 a.m. July 4, arrive back in Cordova at 9:45 p.m. the same day. It will depart at 5 a.m. July 5 for Valdez. The Kennecott will next arrive in Cordova from Whittier at 12:15 a.m. on July 6 and depart for Whittier at 5 a.m., then leave Whittier at 9:30 p.m. heading for Yakutat.
“We’re disappointed it will be so late in the year that we get our first ferry, but we understand that the state is phasing in ferry service because of low mobility of Alaskans,” said Cordova Mayor Clay Koplin, a reference to travel restrictions in place in a number of communities. “We were concerned that the LeConte was moved out of Prince William Sound, but this is because of some good news that the Aurora is being refurbished, so we are excited to see that (ferry) will go back into service this fall in Prince William Sound.”
The nine-deck, ocean certified vessel, named for Kennicott Glacier in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, was constructed in 1998 by the Halter Marine Group of Gulfport, Mississippi. It has a passenger capacity of 450 people and vehicle capacity of 67 20-foot vehicles.
Cordova won’t be the first stop for the Kennicott, which is tentatively scheduled to resume service on June 25 with a voyage from Ketchikan to Bellingham, Washington.
State officials said that interstate ferry service is subject to state of Alaska and state of Washington travel rules in place at that time. The Kennicott is slated to make cross-Gulf of Alaska trips and visit Prince William Sound communities every other week.
Marine highway system officials said Sunday, April 27, that a total of four vessels were expected to resume service in June and July, to provide an appropriate level of service based on passenger demand, crew availability, and state and federal guidelines for response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone traveling aboard the ferries must follow all applicable COVID-19 health mandates, which are online at covid19.alaska.gov/health-mandates.
AMHS officials said they have implemented multilayer cleaning protocols for the vessel and terminal facilities, and shoreside management staff are working closely with crews in the shipyard to develop vessel-specific operational plans for working in a pandemic environment, to ensure the safety of passengers and crew alike.
The M/V Tustumena is scheduled to resume service to Southwest Alaska on June 2 and will run its Aleutian Chain route once a month.
The M/V LeConte is finishing up its annual overhaul and certifications and is scheduled to resume service on June 17. The LeConte will serve Northern Panhandle communities when the M/V Tazlina goes into layup. The M/V Columbia is scheduled to begin service July 1 for Southeast Alaska and Bellingham, again subject to interstate travel rules.
An updated schedule is online at the AMHS website at ferryalaska.com.
Funding for the state ferry system has been an uphill battle, given the impact of lower oil prices on the state budget, plus funding demands of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rep. Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, noted in a legislative update report for The Cordova Times on April 3 that legislators were able to secure a $20 million operating budget increase for the ferry system and a $19 million capital appropriation for repairs and retrofits to the fleet.
Then on April 7, Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed two-thirds of the additional funds appropriated for AMHS, funds that would have restored most service gone from coastal communities over winter months.
There are currently no plans to reconvene the Legislature before mid-January.
