Patrons of Ketchikan’s Cape Fox Lodge could be riding a brand-new tram in as soon as two months.
The mechanical lift is a short-cut from downtown’s Creek Street to the lodge’s restaurant that overlooks the town. It’s been working sporadically for three and a half years. That’s according to Tim Lewis, the lodge’s general manager.
Without the scenic tram to lift them from Creek Street, many opt to walk the forested Married Man’s Trail to get to their reservations. Others choose just to drive up to the lodge.
The new lift was bought from an Italian company. As of Friday, Lewis says it’s on an Alaska Marine Lines barge heading up from Seattle. It’s expected to arrive on Sunday.
The lift’s railways were taken apart and welded again in preparation for the project.
“The tram is brand new and the rails were broken apart and realigned and put back together with new welding,” Lewis wrote in an email to KRBD.
The old tram was 30 years old.
“Parts were hard to come by if we could even find them,” Lewis wrote.
Cape Fox has been working with Dawson Construction, Cornerstone Construction and Southeast Elevator to make the renovation happen.
Lewis says he thinks the tram’s installation will take a couple of months, but could be longer.
Raegan Miller is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution at KRBD.org/donate.
