(JUNEAU, Alaska) – The Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) today announced that the M/V Tustumena has been rescheduled to return to service August 20, 2013. The vessel was previously slated to begin service July 23.

The M/V Tustumena entered a federal capital improvement project on November 1, 2012 at the Seward Ship’s Drydock. The vessel was originally scheduled to return to service April 17, 2013. Due, in part, to unexpected discovery items, specifically steel work, two project extensions were approved for the shipyard to complete repairs to the vessel and to deliver the ferry in time for the scheduled July 23 Aleutian Chain sailing.

Recent inspections revealed that certain repairs to the vessel made at Seward Ship’s Drydock do not meet regulatory standards. In order for the ferry to meet the required safety standards for passenger service the shipyard will require additional time beyond the project extension to correct the repairs.

As a result AMHS is forced to cancel M/V Tustumena service through August 19, 2013. Marine Highway System staff is contacting affected passengers; for more information, please call your local terminal or the AMHS central reservations office at 1-907-465-3941 or toll free at 1-800-642-0066. An updated schedule is available online at FerryAlaska.com.

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities oversees 237 airports, 9 ferries serving 35 communities along 3,500 marine miles, over 5,600 miles of highway and 839 public facilities throughout the state of Alaska. The mission of the department is to “Keep Alaska Moving through service and infrastructure.”

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