Alcatraz Island closed for 3 weeks, tours canceled as crews repair ferry dock

By Tim Fang

Alcatraz Island, one of San Francisco’s famed tourist attractions, is off limits to visitors starting Monday, as a three-week project to repair the ferry dock begins.

According to the National Park Service, crews are replacing pilings that secure the dock to the island. Repairs are expected to be completed by Nov. 18, but officials noted that inclement weather or other factors may change the repair timeline.

“Completing the repair work this fall will help ensure safe and reliable public access to Alcatraz Island for years to come,” the agency said in a statement.

Park Service officials said the work follows two previous closures earlier this year. In January, the dock was closed for nine days after one of the pilings supporting the ferry dock failed.

Alcatraz City Cruises, which operates ferry service to and from the island, found two of the pilings needed repair. In early April, the company worked to strengthen the three serviceable pilings, which led to a six-day closure.

After the April closure, the company was able to fully accommodate demand during the peak travel season, officials said.

In what is being described as a “complex operation,” crews will perform pile driving and a full replacement of the remaining pilings. Work is being performed at this time as pile driving in the bay is restricted by the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, which restricts in-water work after Nov. 30.

Officials said Alcatraz City Cruises is funding and conducting the repair work. The company said in a statement that Alcatraz cruise reservations will be refunded to one’s original form of payment.

Alcatraz City Cruises said a 90-minute San Francisco Bay Discovery Cruise which includes views of the island and other landmarks would be available through Nov. 1.

More than 3,200 ferry trips carry 1.5 million visitors to Alcatraz each year.