Bellingham Herald photo of the Kennicott in Bellingham Bay in 2009.

Bellingham Herald photo of the Kennicott in Bellingham Bay in 2009.

Beginning May 7, 2011, the Alaska Marine Highway System ferry Kennicott will make a biweekly run from Bellingham to Whittier, near Anchorage.

The Kennicott’s departures will be on Saturday evenings every other week, with scheduled arrivals in Whittier on the following Thursday morning. The Kennicott’s capacity is 499 passengers and 80 cars, according to the ferry system website.

According to a Wednesday, Oct. 6, announcement from the ferry system, the four-and-a-half-day run to Whittier will include stops in Ketchikan, Juneau and Yakutat, from May 7 through the remainder of the summer season. The final run is scheduled for Sept. 24.

Until now, Bellingham ferry runs have gone no farther than the Southeast Alaska panhandle. The ferry Columbia will continue to provide that service weekly during the summer.

From the Bellingham Herald