Two proposed Alaska Marine Highway System ferries will be more cost-effective and flexible than the single larger vessel originally planned, according to documents released by state officials Monday.
In a Friday design concept report on the vessels (PDF) by the Elliott Bay Design Group, a marine engineering firm, the two 280-foot "day boat" Alaska-class ferries (ACFs) now planned for construction are estimated to cost about $112.5 million, versus an earlier estimate of $132.5 to $160 million for an initial 350-foot ferry design. They are expected to replace the ferry Malaspina, which currently provides Southeast summer service for Juneau, Haines and Skagway.
Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities spokesperson Jeremy Woodrow says the latest iteration of the smaller ferries' design costs about $5 million more than first projected for the two ships, due to the inclusion of a closed car deck. Previous plans had accounted for the possibility of a partially open car deck, but officials at the department are leaning toward the closed option due to weather concerns.
"The extra costs to cover the car deck would be to the point to where you might as well go ahead and do it," Woodrow said.
A DOTPF website answering frequently asked questions about the design changes says much of the cost savings come from restoring a bow door for vehicles to drive on and off of the smaller ferries, a feature omitted from the original design which required that it be built larger to allow vehicles to make turns aboard it. The door will have watertight doors behind it, to protect the ferries' hull integrity in the event of a failure.
"After the former ACF concept grew to 350 feet, additional accommodations for passengers and crew were also added," state officials wrote. "These additions in combination exponentially increased the construction cost for the hull structure, the crew and passenger accommodations, and the superstructure required to support the additional accommodations."
In contrast, the newer design reduces the planned trip duration of the smaller vessels to 12 hours, a change which in turn reduced federal requirements for crew and passenger quarters aboard. The smaller ferries also have smaller crews, with nine people required to operate each one versus 28 for the 350-foot design. DOTPF hires two crews for each ferry, with one crew sailing while the other rests; the smaller ferries will require a total of 36 crew plus 12 night crew and watchmen for Haines and Juneau, versus 56 crew for the larger design.
"As a further cost savings measure, the Department will explore the possibility of operating one Day Boat ACF during the lowest traffic months; an option that was not possible with one 350 foot ACF," DOTPF officials wrote.
The currently planned vessels are slated to carry up to 300 passengers, with internal seating for 200 and amenities including a library, movie lounge, eating area and solarium. Their car decks are rated to carry up to 53 cars in five vehicle lanes aboard, loaded through doors at the bow and stern. Woodrow says a final decision hasn't been made on adding side doors to the design.
"They are looking at putting on at least one side door," Woodrow said.
DOTPF believes the bow door will reduce turnaround times in port, permitting direct access to a 10-foot-wide lane for trucks and larger vehicles -- which currently have to be backed aboard existing ferries through their side doors. While the vessels are planned to travel at a service speed of 16 knots, similar to most of the current fleet but slower than the 32-knot fast ferries Fairweather and Chenega, Woodrow says faster port visits will keep the "day boat" ferries from extending trips beyond 12 hours in violation of U.S. Coast Guard regulations.
One cost addition is the planned construction of twin bow-loading berths in Haines to accommodate the two ferries, estimated to cost $20 to $22 million versus an $18 million in improvements necessary to dock the 350-foot design. Woodrow says the twin berths, to be funded with federal money, will allow passengers to transfer between ferries on the Haines-Skagway and Haines-Juneau routes.
"Haines is the critical turnaround point," Woodrow said.
Gov. Sean Parnell announced the ferries' design change in December, saying it wasn't possible to construct the larger vessel on budget. The move prompted complaints from Southeast lawmakers, who said the smaller ships might be more vulnerable to winter weather along Lynn Canal.
Three Southeast Alaska meetings will be held next month to take public comment on the proposed design, on Aug. 20 in Juneau, Aug. 21 in Skagway and Aug. 22 in Haines. The department hasn't yet set exact times or locations for those events.
Contact Chris Klint