IFAFerry

The IFA ferry is seen at the Ketchikan ferry terminal.

Repair work on the state-owned ferry terminal at Hollis is set to start this winter, with completion expected by August of next year.

The state Department of Transportation will install a new transfer bridge at the Prince of Wales Island terminal, which is used by the Inter-Island Ferry Authority for its daily runs between Ketchikan and POW.

Originally, the IFA had expected that the work would mean the Hollis terminal would not be available during construction. Officials had planned to use the Coffman Cove dock as its POW landing site while repairs were under way.

However, IFA General Manager Dennis Watson says the state and the contractor have negotiated a new work schedule that will allow the IFA to continue using the Hollis dock. That’s good news for passengers, because the Coffman Cove option would have added two hours to each leg of the trip.

A one-way trip on the IFA now takes about three hours.