(JUNEAU, Alaska) – Today, the Alaska Marine Highway System announced that the M/V Malaspina will be placed in unmanned, long-term layup status in Ketchikan, Alaska effective Jan. 10, 2020. The Malaspina will end revenue service when it arrives in Ketchikan on approximately Dec. 2, 2019.

The Malaspina was scheduled for overhaul this winter, and a preliminary investigation revealed extensive steel replacement was needed. The repair work for the 56-year-old vessel was estimated to be at least $16 million, this is in excess of the available budget and cannot be completed at this time.

There will be no impact on the published AMHS schedule. No long-term decisions have been made at this time regarding the future of the vessel.

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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