Transportation

For the first time, money from ticket sales and revenue coming in from passengers using the Alaska Marine Highway System, known as toll credits, will fund ferry and marine highway projects across the state. That’s in part due to recent eligibility changes within a Federal Highway Administration program. Last week on April 4, the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public …

Kodiak’s proposed Anton Larsen Bay road extension has received a significant financial nudge forward from the federal government. Sen. Lisa Murkowski announced on March 20 $2.5 million dollars in funding for the project through Congress’ Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations package, which was signed into law earlier this month on March 9. Extending this road on Kodiak Island would provide year-round …

For the second summer in a row, ferry trips across the Gulf of Alaska likely won’t happen. The Alaska Marine Highway System is cutting back summer service, based on its schedule released last month on Jan. 18. AS KMXT’s Davis Hovey reports, ongoing staffing issues and overdue maintenance are making reliable service unpredictable for dozens of coastal communities, including Kodiak. …

Due to icy road conditions, Kodiak school buses will be running two-hours behind schedule this morning. All schools on the road system will begin two hours late today. This does not effect rural schools. Additionally, morning preschool classes are canceled today. In an automated phone call, the Kodiak Island Borough School District said the delay also applies to staff. Drive …

The Tustumena, a ferry that shuttles passengers between communities like Homer, Kodiak, and Unalaska, is laid up in a shipyard in Seward for repairs.  “(It’s) not something that we can fix while it’s in the water,” said Sam Dapcevich, a public information officer for the Alaska Marine Highway System. “So they’re going to haul it out in Seward and evaluate …

A de Havilland Beaver operated by Alaska’s Enchanted Lake Lodge Inc. and a Bell 206L-4 helicopter operated by Maritime Helicopters collided in mid-air over Katmai National Park during Labor Day Weekend. The plane’s pilot and passengers reported no injuries, but the helicopter’s pilot was injured in the crash.  The accident took place at about 4:30 p.m. on Monday, near Lake …

The M/V Tustumena docked in Kodiak. It’s the smaller of two ferries that service Kodiak Island. (Photo by Kavitha George/KMXT) Listen to this story; The M/V Tustumena had been in service for less than two weeks when it docked in Homer on July 26. According to an Alaska Department of Transportation press release, the Alaska Marine Highway System ferry had …

Investigators say they still don’t know what caused a single-engine plane to crash after takeoff in Kodiak, killing its pilot.  The National Transportation Safety Board is combing through evidence from last Sunday’s crash near the Kodiak Municipal airport. The NTSB’s Clint Johnson says the wrecked kit Wag-Aero 2+2 craft was reassembled in a hangar, and investigators are examining the engine …

June 10, 2021 by Liz Ruskin, Alaska Public Media Canada’s federal government is considering how to begin loosening its COVID-19 border restrictions, but it seems likely that the ban on letting Americans cross for nonessential travel will continue past June 21, when the current rules expire. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke this week of taking a phased approach. Phase one doesn’t much …

May 17, 2021 by Abbey Collins, Alaska Public Media Alaska is expecting to see a lot of travelers this summer — especially compared to last year. Cheapwheels Rent-A-Car. (Abbey Collins/Alaska Public Media) As COVID-19 restrictions still bar large cruise ships from Alaska waters, most visitors are expected to come by plane — which means many are looking for rental cars. The demand …