(JUNEAU, Alaska) – The Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) announced today that the M/V Kennicott will add a special Prince William Sound sailing Monday, September 10, 2012 to support the high accumulation of travelers resulting from the FVF Chenega interruption in service.

On Monday, September 3, 2012 FVF Chenega crewmembers discovered structural damage after sailing heavy seas. The U.S. Coast Guard was immediately alerted and an inspection revealed that repairs to the vessel would be required before resuming passenger service.

“We apologize to the Prince William Sound passengers whose travel schedules have been interrupted this past week,” said Michael Neussl, Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Services (DOT&PF) Deputy Commissioner for Marine Operations. “With the high number of travelers affected, AMHS determined it was feasible and warranted to temporarily reroute the Kennicott in order to alleviate the traffic backlog as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

The FVF Chenega, which can carry up to 250 passengers and 36 vehicles, is expected to resume service Monday, September 10, 2012. The M/V Kennicott, capable of carrying 499 passengers and 80 vehicles, will be able to transport all the backlogged travelers affected by the interruption in FVF Chenega service.

The M/V Kennicott’s revised Prince William Sound schedule will be:

Date	Time	Port	Arrival/Departure
9/10/2012	5:45 p.m.	Whittier	Arrives
9/10/2012	8:45 p.m.	Whittier	Departs
9/11/2012	3:30 a.m.	Cordova	Arrives
9/11/2012	6:30 a.m.	Cordova	Departs
9/11/2012	1:15 p.m.	Whittier	Arrives
9/11/2012	4:15 p.m.	Whittier	Departs to Yakutat approx. 16 hours behind schedule

This amended schedule will impact travelers planning to sail aboard the M/V Kennicott from September 11 to September 18, 2012. AMHS staff is contacting affected passengers to alert them of the delay. For more information, travelers may call their local terminal or the AMHS central reservations office at 1-907-465-3941 or toll-free at 1-800-642-0066. Updated schedule information can be found online at FerryAlaska.com or by dialing 5-1-1 from any phone in Alaska.

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities oversees 255 airports, 11 ferries serving 35 communities, 5,619 miles of highway and 720 public facilities throughout the state of Alaska. The mission of the department is to “Get Alaska Moving through service and infrastructure.”

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