Traffic into Seattle’s Colman Dock changing as part of replacement project

Construction crews are preparing to launch a massive, six-year project to replace Washington State’s largest ferry terminal.

On Tuesday, traffic into Seattle’s Colman dock will be reconfigured.

See vehicle access changes here (PDF)

The new traffic access lanes will be in place for one year on Alaskan Way near the dock.

Construction to replace the aging dock gets underway in August and is expected to wrap up in early 2023.

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WSF says the project will replace the aging and seismically-vulnerable terminal, which has some timber piles dating to 1938.

The project will include a new passenger-only ferry terminal to serve the King County Water Taxi and Kitsap Transit Fast Ferry.

Colman Dock will remain open during construction. The terminal served more than 9 million people in 2016.

Seattle Multimodal Terminal at Colman Dock project website

WSF is also considering making changes to the Bremerton and Bainbridge Island sailing schedules. WSF says the temporary schedule changes, which are scheduled to start in January 2018, are needed during construction because the terminal building will be much smaller as crews work on rebuilding the dock and replacing the building.

Currently, vessels depart for Bainbridge Island and Bremerton at the same time several times a day. During construction, there will not be enough space in the terminal to accommodate the number of passengers leaving for both destinations.

The first construction-related change ferry riders will encounter is new Colman Dock vehicle access lanes starting Tuesday.

The lanes will be located on Alaskan Way adjacent to Colman Dock between Madison Street and Yesler Way, and will serve as ferry access and for lining up.

For more information about the changes, WSF is offering is hosting a series of outreach events to share detailed plans for a rebuilt Colman Dock and what to expect during construction, starting this summer and continuing through 2023.

Open houses

Monday, June 26, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Kitsap Conference Center, 100 Washington Ave., Bremerton

Tuesday, June 27, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Bainbridge Island Senior Center, 370 Brien Dr. SE, Bainbridge Island

Thursday, June 29, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Seattle Center for Architecture and Design, 1010 Western Ave, Seattle