JUNEAU, Alaska — State ferry officials are moving forward with designs for a new Alaska-class ferry.
An appropriation of $60 million this year brought the fund total to $120 million. Officials believe that will cover design and construction costs of a new ferry.
But the Juneau Empire reports the final cost won’t be known until the contract to build the new ferries goes out to bid and is completed.
The new class of vessels are intended to be fuel-efficient and cheaper to operate than the fleet’s aging mainline vessels.
The new vessels could be “day boats,” meaning they won’t have overnight accommodations.
Officials say a possible route for the Alaska-class ferries might be in Lynn Canal, between Juneau, Haines and Skagway.
The larger ferries would continue to handle the longer, overnight runs.
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Information from: Juneau Empire, http://www.juneauempire.com
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