The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities has awarded Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors, Houma, La., a $350 million contract to build a hybrid diesel-electric ferry to replace the Alaska Marine Highway System’s (AMHS) 62-year-old Tustumena.
The state awarded the contract Oct. 1 after the project cleared a Federal Transit Administration Buy America audit. Thoma-Sea submitted the winning bid of $349,996,251. AMHS said the project can now move into detailed design and construction, with the ferry targeted to enter service in 2029 or 2030.
The 330'×74'10" ferry will have a design draft of 16'6" and a service speed of 15 knots. It will carry 250 passengers, with berths for 124. The vehicle deck will accommodate up to 58 cars or a mix of 14 vans and 26 cars.
Vehicles will load over the stern or from either side. A 52'×14' vehicle lift will accommodate the wide tidal ranges at ports in Southcentral Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. Dock heights along the route also limit the vessel’s freeboard. The ferry will be built to U.S. Coast Guard and Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) requirements for ocean service and classed by the American Bureau of Shipping.
Alaska Transportation Commissioner Ryan Anderson said in June, when the state announced the apparent low bidder, that the design drew on input from captains, engineers, shoreside staff and the communities that depend on the route.
The 296'×59' Tustumena entered service in 1964 and has a service speed of 13.3 knots. It is one of two ocean-class ferries in the AMHS fleet and the only one able to serve all 13 ports of call between Homer and Unalaska. Replacing the vessel is among the priorities in the system’s 2045 long-range plan.
The state is accepting essays from Alaska students in grades six through 12 to help name the ferry. Entries are due Nov. 23 at 5 p.m. Alaska time. State law requires AMHS vessels to be named for Alaska glaciers.
WorkBoat reached out to Thoma-Sea for further specs on the vessel.
