The state of Alaska is pressing forward with a controversial plan to build a ferry terminal it says will streamline service in the Upper Lynn canal.
But communities in the area that depend on the ferry system aren’t on board. They say they need more information about the project, known as Cascade Point, and are concerned the new terminal could make getting to and from Juneau even more complicated than it already is.
“I think we’re all looking for the same thing, which is some definitive answers before we start on construction of this,” Haines Borough Mayor Tom Morphet said during an assembly meeting in July.
The state Department of Transportation signed a $28.5 million dollar contract last week that kickstarts a plan to build a new ferry terminal about halfway between Juneau and Haines, the Anchorage Daily News reported last week.
The contract went to K&E Alaska Inc. and will pay for the first phase of the project. According to the state’s request for proposals, the first phase will entail design work plus the construction of an access road to the terminal site, a new bridge over Cascade Creek, a gate and an upland staging area – but not the ferry terminal itself.
The company should be able to begin the design phase this summer, with construction starting next summer and stretching into September of 2027, DOT spokesperson Sam Dapcevich said. The terminal will be located on land owned by Goldbelt Inc., a Juneau-based Alaska Native corporation.
Cascade Point is roughly 30 miles farther north of Juneau than the current terminal in Auke Bay. That in theory could cut about two hours off the round-trip ferry ride, but passengers would then have to drive or take a bus to Juneau from Cascade Point.
Haines, Skagway and the ferry advisory board all question the plan
Community leaders and a ferry system’s advisory board say the state has yet to make a strong case for the project – and that it’s premature to be awarding contracts.
Among them: the Alaska Marine Highway Operations Board, an advisory body created to consult with the Alaska Marine Highway System on short- and long-term planning, and to ensure the system adheres to those plans. The group’s concerns have centered around what they say has been the state’s failure to demonstrate why the project is necessary and how it will work.
Board Chair Wanetta Ayers said in an interview last week that it’s crucial a project of this scale is carefully thought out to avoid spending millions of dollars on a terminal that may not benefit customers.
“We don’t have the time or the money for misfiring – doing projects that either don’t come to fruition or don’t really contribute to service levels, meeting the needs of Alaskans,” Ayers said.
The Haines assembly, for its part, voted in July to send a letter to Gov. Mike Dunleavy that says they cannot support the project absent more information. Their concerns include how walk-on passengers will get from the terminal at Cascade Point to downtown Juneau.
Notably, Goldbelt has committed to running a bus service to transport passengers between Cascade Point and Juneau. A commitment letter sent to DOT in May said the service would be available for every ferry arrival and departure. Drop-off points would include the Valley Transit Center, the Auke Bay Ferry Terminal, the Cascade Point Terminal and “other possible locations.”
Officials in Skagway, meanwhile, sent DOT a letter in June that said the project has not been integrated into the ferry system’s draft long-range plan – and questioned why the state hasn’t released a feasibility study or economic analysis justifying the project.
The letter also questions how the facility will be staffed and operated and why the department is pursuing a brand-new terminal, given the state’s ongoing budget shortfalls and the reality that existing terminals and infrastructure are in what the letter calls “urgent need of repair.”
DOT says a new terminal fits the ferry system’s long-term goals
DOT responded to the letter within two days. The department emphasized that the Cascade Point project is being funded through dollars appropriated years ago for the broader “Juneau Access Project” – not from a more general pool used for existing infrastructure.
The letter notes that DOT has been conducting engineering feasibility studies and design work on Cascade Point for 18 months, but adds that cost-benefit analyses can be “limited in capturing the full community and economic benefits unique to coastal Alaska.”
Asked for comment on critics’ concerns, Dapcevich, of DOT, said one of the top issues seems to be how walk-on passengers will get from Cascade Point to Juneau. As he sees it, that shouldn’t be a problem, given Goldbelt’s commitment to operate a ticketed bus service.
“Right now, if you’re from Haines or Skagway and you take the ferry to Auke Bay, there’s no bus service there. You gotta call a cab or you gotta walk,” Dapcevich said. “And with Cascade Point and Goldbelt’s commitment, you would have bus service from the ferry terminal to town.”
Dapcevich said the public will be able to weigh in on project design during future public meetings and comment periods. He added that the department has considered other operational questions, such as terminal staffing and where vessels will be homeported, but that those details are speculative at this stage. He did say the state anticipates adjusting current snow plowing priorities to be sure drivers’ vehicles can make it to and from the terminal in the winter.
As to concerns about the ferry system’s long-range plan, Dapcevich said that while the plan may not focus specifically on Cascade Point, it does focus on the broader goal of shortening routes and boosting efficiency.
“Cutting a couple hours off of each run in each direction, it reduces the wear and tear on the machinery, it reduces the fuel costs,” Dapcevich said. “We see potential for improved service as other parts of the long-term strategy fall into place.”
He’s referring in part to a separate-but-related project called the Chilkat Connector, which has also been referred to as the Juneau Access Project. The department in March announced a study to examine the feasibility of building a road from Haines along the west side of the Lynn Canal along with other infrastructure.
There are several different ways that could take shape. But the idea is that a passenger could start in Haines and drive south along the canal to William Henry Bay. At that point, they would cross the canal on a ferry to Cascade Point and then drive to Juneau.
Dapcevich acknowledged that the journey would be more complicated not only for Skagwegians but also for those traveling without a vehicle.
“The Chilkat connector is a separate thing at this point,” he said. “There’d be a lot of permitting and securing funding. Lots of pieces to that puzzle, too.”
