The M/V Tustumena’s last sailing to Kodiak Island for this winter season is set for Jan. 2. Weather delays and scheduling changes mean Alaska Marine Highway System’s mainliner ferry won’t stop through some archipelago communities until after New Year’s.

The cost of shipping goods is increasing next month due to tariff surcharges at the Port of Alaska in Anchorage and after some shipping companies have raised their rates for the upcoming year.

Ferry passengers will have to wait even longer to sail on the MV Tustumena replacement vessel [TRV]. The more than $300 million project is not expected to be completed until at least the end of 2028 – a year later than originally anticipated.

It's the latest cancellations of the year for the aging boat. The oldest ferry in the Alaska Marine Highway System and is showing its age — it had to be brought to a shipyard in Seward for repairs. Kodiak ferry terminal staff also warned there may be additional cancellations later.

A complete overhaul of Mill Bay Road, one of Kodiak’s main city streets, has entered phase two of the project and the road is open to regular traffic with flaggers and a pilot car in use.

Sept. 3 marks the beginning of the Mill Bay Road rebuild project which will be completed in coordination with Brechan Construction and the City of Kodiak Public Works Department.

Kodiak’s City Council agreed with Turnagain Marine Construction’s preferred design for the replacement of St. Herman Harbor, with some modifications, at a work session on Aug. 6.

The ship began service in 1964 and has become an icon for the Alaska Marine Highway System. Kodiak held a block party for her diamond anniversary with officials sharing updates about her replacement.

Earlier this year, Kodiak’s City Council requested $1 million from the state to help cover the first two phases of permitting and design work, which are estimated to cost $16 million.

Construction work on about 16 miles of the Chiniak Highway won’t start next summer as initially planned. The Alaska Department of Transportation now says the project will begin in 2026.