EconomyAlaska · December 26, 2025
A road out of Southeast?
Alaska is studying a potential ferry terminal in Hyder that could connect Southeast Alaska ferries directly to the Lower 48 road system.
Daily Alaska staff · December 26, 2025
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities is studying a new ferry terminal in Hyder, a small Southeast Alaska community that already connects by road into British Columbia. The study, costing about a quarter million dollars, looks at dock design, water depth, dredging, and environmental concerns for a site that would link the Alaska Marine Highway directly to the Lower 48 road system without crossing a Canadian port.
The Alaska Marine Highway currently depends on a Canadian ferry terminal in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, a link that has been unreliable and expensive for years. A terminal in Hyder would keep the southern ferry connection entirely on U.S. soil, avoiding foreign port rules, fees, and shutdowns that have disrupted service.
Hyder is the only Alaska town with road access to the Lower 48, a fact that makes it a rare candidate for a project that would tie the ferry system directly into the highway network.
Early estimates put construction costs around thirty million dollars if the project moves forward. If approved, state officials say it could take five to eight years before ferries start docking at the new terminal.
In this story
Evidence
Sources
Claims and where they come from
- DOT&PF is spending about $250,000 on early studies for a possible Hyder ferry terminal · alaskapublic.org
- Early construction estimates for the Hyder terminal run around thirty million dollars · alaskapublic.org
- Hyder is the only Alaska town with road access to the Lower 48 · alaskapublic.org
- If approved, the project could take five to eight years before ferries start docking in Hyder · alaskapublic.org
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