The
Project: The Lynn Canal Highway project
improves transportation services to Juneau. A fifty-mile
extension of the road from Echo Cove to about two
miles north of the Katzehin River is being designed.
A new ferry terminal at Katzehin will serve three
shuttle ferries back and forth to Haines and Skagway,
which will make about 15 trips a day during the
summer. Bridges will span the Antler, Lace, and
Katzehin Rivers.
The purpose of and need for the Lynn Canal Highway
Project is to provide improved surface transportation
to and from Juneau within the Lynn Canal corridor
that will:
• Provide the capacity to meet transportation
demand in the corridor.
• Provide flexibility and improve
opportunity for travel.
• Reduce travel times between the
communities.
• Reduce state costs for transportation
in the corridor.
• Reduce user costs for transportation
in the corridor.
Further Needs:
The existing ferry service does not meet current
transportation needs and the future of Alaska's
traditional ferry system looks bleak, with subsidizing
funds in jeopardy of being discontinued by the Alaska
Legislature.
• The Alaska Marine Highway (AMHS) ferry
system provides about 21.3 million vehicle miles
yearly and costs the State approximately 53 times
more per mile to operate than the State road system.
The State road system also provides 92 times more
service at 2 billion vehicle miles per year.
• AMHS only provides about 2.5 million vehicle
miles of travel in Lynn Canal which on average costs
the State 11% more than the rest of AMHS ferry routes..
The Lynn Canal Highway project will provide over
11 times more capacity at 28.7 million vehicle miles
per year, and is estimated to be 53 times lower
cost per vehicle mile. This cost ratio should remain
the same even with increased fuel prices.
Ferry use has been declining in recent years due
to unreliability, increased fares, and other methods
of transportation providing more convenience. Current
use of the Juneau to Skagway ferry service averages
81 cars per day year-round, based upon the last
15 years of record. Transportation opportunities
and services would improve with the new road and
shuttle ferry which is projected to service about
510 cars per day for 2008 and 930 cars per day in
2038, on a yearly average. The Lynn Canal Highway
Project would improve travel times and delays that
may be caused due to bad weather, malfunctions,
or decreased seasonal service with the existing
system.
Costs of the Ferry:
In 2004, operating costs of the AMHS ferry system
was $90 million and took in only $45 million from
fares, room rentals, and meals, leaving an unpaid
shortfall of $45 million. Alaska Legislators subsidized
the ferry system for remainder of the unpaid balance.
The fiscal year (FY) 2006 projected cost to operate
the system is $101 million.
2006 Ferry user costs:
• Costs to a family of four in a 19-foot
vehicle from Juneau to Skagway………...
$276
• Costs to the state to subsidize the ferry
for this same family……………………
$250
Estimated Lynn Canal Highway user costs:
•Cost for same family
of four with Lynn Canal Project completed...........................$34
*
• Cost to the state for
same family of four with Lynn Canal Project completed.....$15*
*based on costs at time
FEIS was released.
History: A road out of Juneau has been studied
since statehood. A Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was distributed
in 1997 for public review after five years of preparation.
In 1998 and 1999, comments were analyzed that were
submitted on the DEIS and additional studies were
conducted. In 2000, Governor Knowles suspended design
work on the project. In 2002, Governor Murkowski
ordered resumption of the project. A Supplemental
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS)
was distributed in January 2005 and the
Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)
was distributed in January 2006. The Record
of Decision (ROD) was signed by Federal
Highway Administration (FHWA) in April 2006.
The final stages of preparing design information
and bidding documents for the southern half of the
road is now in process.
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