Challenge: You’ve heard of a highway system. But have you heard of a Marine Highway System? Alaska has one. And just like any transportation system, it requires maintenance and repair. Brutal weather, extreme tides and boring marine animals take a toll on the infrastructure. Investment has been sporadic resulting in crumbling docks, aging vessels, and unreliable schedules for Alaska’s coastal communities.
Solution: With help from the federal infrastructure investment law, the Alaska Marine Highway System will be getting some much-needed TLC. The plan calls for upgrading dock infrastructure, constructing new boat terminals, replacing and repairing aging vessels, and purchasing a new electric ferry. For the residents of coastal Alaska who depend on this system to get to medical appointments and the delivery of supplies, a safer, more reliable trip is on the way.
What they’re saying: “When you look at the transportation needs for this region, the avenues for people and goods and services to move from one place to another have shrunk or been eliminated from our communities. What people who don’t live in Southeast Alaska don’t realize is that people in Angoon, Hoonah, Haines, and Skagway have to get to Juneau for medical appointments, and if they can’t physically fly, they need to take the ferry.” McHugh Pierre, president & CEO, Goldbelt. (Alaska Business, 06/13/2023)
