Everett, Wash.
Published: Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Keystone run to get new ferry by 2010

The state will spend $65.5 million for the 64-car vessel, much more than it had estimated

By Scott North
Herald Writer

 SEATTLE -- Washington state has decided to spend $65.5 million to get a new ferry running between Whidbey Island and Port Townsend by spring 2010.

The ferries division of the Washington State Department of Transportation on Monday awarded to Todd Pacific Shipyards a contract to build a new Island Home-class vessel.

Todd was the lone bidder for the 64-car ferry.

"The key thing for us is to get the boat that we absolutely need now," said David Moseley, the state's assistant transportation secretary in charge of the ferry system.

The Keystone to Port Townsend route has operated with borrowed boats since Nov. 20, 2007. That was the day state Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond pulled four 80-year-old Steel Electric-class ferries from service out of concerns about their hull safety. The aging vessels later were retired after state officials determined repairs to be impractical.

The state kept the old ferries in service so long in part because they were the only vessels in the fleet big enough to safely carry cars and freight across Admiralty Inlet, but also were sufficiently maneuverable to navigate challenging Keystone Harbor on Whidbey.

Ferry officials were disappointed last month when the lone bid submitted for the new boats came in more than 30 percent above engineers' estimates. It was the second time this year that an attempt to contract for new ferries through the state's shipbuilders resulted in a single bid and higher-than-anticipated costs.

Getting new ferries under construction is critical, Moseley said. So will be the conversations expected in the upcoming legislative session about the size of the fleet and the number of vessels the state can afford to build, he said.

"It's important for the long-term health of the ferry system that we get on with the business of building new vessels and replacing our aging ferry fleet," Hammond said in a prepared statement. "These vessels fit with our plan that includes identifying a sustainable long-term funding source to support the ferry system into the future."

The new ferries will hold up to 750 passengers. Once contracts and paperwork are finalized, Todd Shipyards will be on the hook to deliver the new ferry within 540 days.

State law requires the ferry system to find its new vessels in Washington shipyards. A consultant to a state legislative committee last month suggested taxpayers could save $146.6 million by 2030 if companies outside Washington were allowed to bid on ferry building contracts.

Gov. Chris Gregoire on Monday supported the plan to build the new ferry here.

"Our economy and the people who depend upon this ferry route will greatly benefit from this contract. This award is expected to generate nearly 200 jobs," she said in a prepared statement. "The locally built ferry will provide reliable auto and passenger service on this critical route."
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA