AASHTO Journal - Alaska DOT&PF Hosts Naming Contest for New Ferry

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities is holding a statewide essay contest for students in grades 6 through 12 to propose a name for the new ferry vessel that will replace the M/V Tustumena, with submissions due by November 23.

[Above image by Alaska DOT&PF]

The agency said the M/V Tustumena has served communities along the Kenai Peninsula, Kodiak Island, the Alaska Peninsula, and the Aleutian Islands since 1964 – adding that it awarded the construction contract for the replacement vessel on October 1.

“For more than six decades, the Tustumena has connected Alaska’s coastal communities, carrying families, vehicles and essential goods,” said Ryan Anderson, Alaska DOT&PF commissioner, in a statement.

“This contest gives young Alaskans a chance to help name a vessel that will serve the next generation and continue that tradition of connection,” he added.

The agency stressed that by state regulation, Alaska Marine Highway System maritime vessels must be named for Alaska glaciers, and vessel names must be established by law.

As a result, a selection committee will review the student entries and select one winning essay, with Alaska DOT&PF submitting the winning entry to the Alaska Legislature for consideration during the legislative session beginning in January 2027.

The agency noted in January that replacing the M/V Tustumena is part of the department’s long-term Alaska Marine Highway System revitalization strategy, which emphasizes efficient operations, predictable service, and long-term asset stewardship.

That plan also includes advancing 12 key terminal and dock projects – such as the new Cascade Point Ferry Terminal, Cold Bay Dock Replacement, and improvements to Prince William Sound terminal facilities – and continuing customer-service upgrades.

It also involved returning the M/V Kennicott to service earlier this year after that vessel completed a $27 million “repower project” to improve the vessel’s reliability, operational efficiency, and long-term service life.

The project – overseen by the Everett Ship Repair facility in Washington State, with critical support from the vessel’s Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) crew – replaced the Kennicott’s aging generators with more efficient equipment that reduced fuel consumption while increasing reliability.