The toll booths of the new Mukilteo ferry terminal, slated to open on Dec. 29. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)

The toll booths of the new Mukilteo ferry terminal, slated to open on Dec. 29. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)

At last, $187 million Mukilteo ferry terminal to open Dec. 29

First, boats will suspend service for 13 hours to allow for finishing touches and training.

MUKILTEO – Dec. 29 will be both a pain and a celebration for riders on the Mukilteo-Clinton main Whidbey Island ferry route.

There will be no ferry service all day to prepare for the opening of the new Mukilteo terminal that evening. That day, there will be training aboard the boats and finishing touches made at the dock.

Sailings will start with the 5:35 p.m. departure from Clinton on the island. The 20-minute voyage will mark the official opening of a project that cost $187 million and has been decades in the making.

The four new toll booths in Mukilteo will open at 5 p.m. for riders hoping to catch the 6:10 p.m. boat — the first cruise from the new terminal.

There will be a line of cars. Count on it. Reservations are not available. Be patient. Don’t worry if you can’t get on the first one. Grab a snack from Ivar’s. Ferries run every 30 minutes.

Due to COVID-19, there will not be a grand celebration for the state system’s first new terminal in 40 years.

“It will be a soft opening,” said Ian Sterling, Washington State Ferries spokesman.

Walk-ons will board first. The overhead passenger ramp won’t be operational until February. A ticket to ride from Mukilteo is $5.55, or $2.75 for seniors and those ages 6 to 18. Children 5 and under are free. Cost for a vehicle and driver is $9.90.

The existing terminal, on the other side of Ivar’s, was built in 1957, the same year game show host Vanna White was born. But it hasn’t aged as well and has not had significant improvements since the early 1980s. The route is one of the state’s busiest, with more than 4 million total riders every year.

The new Mukilteo ferry terminal was designed to resemble a Native American longhouse. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)

The new Mukilteo ferry terminal was designed to resemble a Native American longhouse. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)

Mukilteo Mayor Jennifer Gregerson will be among the waterfront spectators on Dec. 29.

“I just want to be there and watch it come in and the first round of cars,” she said.

The terminal has been a focus of her seven years in the mayor’s office. There have been numerous delays and changes.

“This is the first step in reclaiming the eastern half of our waterfront. It’s the promenade that we’ve been dreaming about for years,” Gregerson said. “It will hopefully operate much better and reduce the bad impact of the ferry on our community and accentuate the good ones.”

The terminal is designed to resemble a Native American longhouse, with tribal artwork inside and on the toll booths.

Tribal art adorns the toll booths of the new Mukilteo ferry terminal. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)

Tribal art adorns the toll booths of the new Mukilteo ferry terminal. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)

While there isn’t long-term parking, there’s plenty of “kiss and go” space, where people can pull in and drop off, Sterling said. It’s a short walk to the Sounder rail station and bus service.

During the hours of closure on Dec. 29, even emergency sailings will not be possible.

People who need to travel to or from Whidbey Island can drive north over the Deception Pass bridge or use the Edmonds-Kingston and Port Townsend-Coupeville ferry routes.

“We recognize this is a major disruption for some of our customers,” Amy Scarton, head of WSF, said in a news release. “We worked to balance the need of those who rely on this route to get to work with the need to open the new terminal by scheduling this move over a holiday break, when there are usually fewer commuters.”

A pedestrian path will close Dec. 16 until the new terminal opens. The waterfront promenade will replace that trail and connect to Lighthouse Park to the west and Edgewater Beach to the east.

Andrea Brown: abrown@heraldnet.com; 425-339-3443. Twitter @reporterbrown.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Customers enter and exit the Costco on Dec. 2, 2022, in Lake Stevens. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Costco stores could be impacted by looming truck driver strike threat

Truck drivers who deliver groceries and produce to Costco warehouses… Continue reading

Two Washington State ferries pass along the route between Mukilteo and Clinton as scuba divers swim near the shore Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Ferry system increases ridership by a half million in 2024

Edmonds-Kingston route remains second-busiest route in the system.

Pharmacist Nisha Mathew prepares a Pfizer COVID booster shot for a patient at Bartell Drugs on Broadway on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Everett lawmakers back universal health care bill, introduced in Olympia

Proponents say providing health care for all is a “fundamental human right.” Opponents worry about the cost of implementing it.

Outside of the updated section of Lake Stevens High School on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020 in Lake Stevens, Wa. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lake Stevens, Arlington school measures on Feb. 11 ballot

A bond in Lake Stevens and a levy in Arlington would be used to build new schools.

Lake Stevens Sewer District wastewater treatment plant. (Lake Stevens Sewer District)
Lake Stevens sewer district trial delayed until April

The dispute began in 2021 and centers around when the city can take over the district.

Robin Cain with 50 of her marathon medals hanging on a display board she made with her father on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Running a marathon is hard. She ran one in every state.

Robin Cain, of Lake Stevens, is one of only a few thousand people to ever achieve the feat.

People line up to grab food at the Everett Recovery Cafe on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Coffee, meals and compassion are free at the Everett Recovery Cafe

The free, membership-based day center offers free coffee and meals and more importantly, camaraderie and recovery support.

Devani Padron, left, Daisy Ramos perform during dance class at Mari's Place Monday afternoon in Everett on July 13, 2016. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)
Mari’s Place helps children build confidence and design a better future

The Everett-based nonprofit offers free and low-cost classes in art, music, theater and dance for children ages 5 to 14.

The Everett Wastewater Treatment Plant along the Snohomish River on Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett water, sewer rates could jump 43% by 2028

The rate hikes would pay for improvements to the city’s sewer infrastructure.

The bond funded new track and field at Northshore Middle School on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 in Bothell, Washington. (Courtesy of Northshore School District)
Northshore School District bond improvements underway

The $425 million bond is funding new track and field complexes, playgrounds and phase one of two school replacements.

A salmon carcass lays across willow branches in Edgecomb Creek on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025 in Arlington, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Tribes: State fish passage projects knock down barriers for local efforts

Court-ordered projects have sparked collaboration for salmon habitat restoration

The Everett Municipal Building on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Everett council approves $111 million construction of sewer project

The Port Gardner Storage Facility, in the works for more than a decade, will help prevent overflows of the city sewer system.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.