Construction Begins on New Washington Ferry

Gov. Bob Ferguson has announced that Washington’s ferry fleet is officially growing, with Florida-based Eastern Shipbuilding Group set to build three new hybrid-electric ferries.

Construction of the first boat began Aug. 5 and was marked by a ceremonial steel-cutting ceremony at the shipyard in Florida. The vessels are scheduled to be delivered to Washington in 2030, 2031, and 2032.

According to the governor’s office, having selected Eastern Shipbuilding Group through a competitive bidding process is expected to save taxpayers about $240 million, which could help fund a fourth new ferry in the future.

Presently, the state is running 21 ferries. In a recent press release, officials said the system ultimately needs 26 vessels to run optimally.

“This is the first time in a decade that construction is beginning on a new ferry,” Ferguson said in the release. “In the past decade, we lost four ferries to retirement. Today signifies a critical step in rebuilding our fleet with modern vessels that will allow us to provide more dependable service.”