Officials close Fairbanks riverboat after engineer’s report

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) – A paddle steamer grounded in a Fairbanks historical-themed park will be closed this summer after officials found it to be structurally unsound.

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports the Fairbanks North Star Borough commissioned a structural engineer to evaluate the stability of the Riverboat Nenana in Pioneer Park last summer.

Borough Parks and Recreation Department director Mike Bork says people will not be allowed to enter the boat, and there are currently no plans to repair it.

The borough has estimated that it would cost nearly $1.6 million to repair the boat. It would cost about $9.5 million to preserve the boat at museum-quality standards.

The five-deck riverboat was built in 1933. It was placed at the park for its opening in 1967.
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Information from: Fairbanks (Alaska) Daily News-Miner, http://www.newsminer.com

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