Alaska Readies Cascade Point Ferry Terminal Site

State transportation officials have authorized equipment staging at the project site while environmental review and permitting remain pending.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Construction

Alaska Readies Cascade Point Ferry Terminal Site

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The Alaska Department of Transportation authorized Sitka-based contractor K&E Alaska Inc. to mobilize equipment and store materials at the Cascade Point Ferry Terminal project site. The Southeast Alaska Conservation Council has sent the agency a cease and desist letter, and equipment appeared on the site by Monday afternoon.

Why it matters

The move has drawn criticism that the state is advancing the project before the next governor takes office and before federal permitting is settled. Alaska residents across the Southeast region have a stake in the terminal's future, which would affect ferry access for communities including Haines and Juneau.

The first phase of the Cascade Point Ferry Terminal project is funded with state money at a cost of $28.5 million. The Army Corps of Engineers found the first phase would not affect federally regulated waters, but the agency has requested all design information for both phases before permitting moves forward.

The players

Alaska Department of Transportation

The state agency responsible for transportation infrastructure, overseeing the Cascade Point Ferry Terminal project and its first-phase state funding.

K&E Alaska Inc.

A Sitka-based contractor authorized to mobilize equipment and store materials at the Cascade Point project site.

Southeast Alaska Conservation Council

A regional environmental advocacy group that sent a cease and desist letter to the state transportation agency over the project.

The details

The Alaska Department of Transportation informed K&E Alaska Inc. in mid-October that it could mobilize equipment and store materials at the project site, though no actual construction has been authorized. The state must complete an environmental review checklist and a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan before construction on the first phase can begin.

March: Alaska DOT delayed work on the project until next year.
Mid-October: DOT authorized K&E Alaska to mobilize equipment at the site.
Friday: The Southeast Alaska Conservation Council sent a cease and desist letter to the agency.
Monday afternoon: More equipment appeared on the project site.

Market Landscape

The Cascade Point project sits within the Corps' Clean Water Act jurisdiction, which determines whether federal permits are required for shoreline ferry construction in Southeast Alaska. The state's decision to split the project into phases will be measured against that federal review process.

Residents who rely on ferry service between Juneau, Haines and Skagway could see changes to terminal access once construction proceeds. Travelers should expect possible disruption from site work and a roughly 30-mile additional drive from Juneau to the new terminal location.

The takeaway

Large public infrastructure projects often move through phased approvals, and the sequence of permits can shape both cost and timing. Readers following the Cascade Point terminal should watch for the environmental review and stormwater plan milestones that must clear before construction.