Scars from past rock slides above Railroad Dock.
The Southeast Alaska port of Skagway is facing the herculean task of stabilizing a mountainside above one of its cruise docks.
To help finance this major project, the borough has applied to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for a $19.9 million grant. The application was successful and is awaiting final review before the much-needed award is finalized.
The small town of Skagway relies heavily on its summertime tourism industry. Over a million cruise visitors arrive annually at this coastal community of 1,200 year-round residents.
Netting has been installed to catch falling rocks.
Skagway’s port can accommodate four large ships at its three cruise docks, but repeated rockslides prompted the partial closing in 2022 of the Railroad Dock. The steep mountain slope beside the Railroad Rock is scarred by past rockslides and passengers disembarking here are shuttled by bus past the slide zone to the head of the dock or by ship’s tender to the small boat harbor. Skagway’s other two cruise docks are located away from this natural hazard.
After an earthquake in 2017 triggered two slides, which sent rocks tumbling onto the Railroad Dock, temporary mitigation and safety measures were taken. These included the installation of netting to catch any falling rock as well as instrumentation to forewarn of any movement on the mountain slope. When more rockslides occurred in 2022, a subsequent geotechnical assessment stressed the urgency of a long-term solution to stabilize the slide zone. Measures to be taken will include drilling into the slope to insert long sections of rebar, removing tons of loose rock, and scaling the slope to reduce steepness.
Upon completion of this massive project, the Railroad Dock will be safe for foot traffic.
About Anne Vipond
