State fast-tracks construction for new Tustumena ferry

The Tustumena docked in Homer in 2009. (Creative Commons photo by Isaac Wedin)
The state’s plan to build a new ferry for Southwest Alaska has been fast-tracked.
Originally, construction was scheduled to start in 2019, but now contractors could begin building the new ship as early as next year.
Communications Officer Jeremy Woodrow says the Alaska Department of Transportation wants to replace the Tustumena ferry as soon as possible.
“It’s more than 50 years old, it run