The project is expected to be conducted in three phases. Each phase includes both design development and stakeholder consultation in parallel. The chart below generally depicts the four phases, with the yellow portion indicating our current status.

Project Phases

The Feasibility Study has produced a Design Study Report that identifies the features of the new ferry based on the vessel's intended mission. This report will not identify every system and feature of the vessel in detail. Rather this report will steer the direction of the future design phases by addressing, in a general manner, the characteristics which have the most impact on the design.

The Concept / Preliminary Design will describe the vessel in sufficient detail to ensure the selected vessel characteristics & systems result in a successful design. A successful design will work technically, and will succeed in meeting the vessel mission requirements.

The Detail Design will be a set of specifications and plans from which the vessel can be built by a shipyard. These will be used by shipyards to bid on the construction project, and used by the selected shipyard for vessel construction.

Vessel construction can possibly start in July of 2010. The Construction phase completed by the winning shipyard will take 3 to 5 years depending on lead times for major machinery components. This phase will involve ongoing teamwork between AMHS representatives and the selected shipyard.

Alaska Class Ferry Project