A major construction project at the north-end ferry dock will mean traffic changes and possible ferry delays for nine months beginning this summer.
Washington State Ferries (WSF) will hold a public meeting next week on Vashon to inform about the ferry dock and what to expect when construction begins in June. During the bulk of the project, vehicles will line up on the road instead of the dock. Part of 103rd Avenue SW will become a one-lane street, and there will be no room to pick up or drop off passengers on the dock or on 103rd.
“We’re working hard to ensure that the effects to Vashon riders will be minimal, but there is construction, so we do appreciate patience,” said Nicole McIntosh, an engineering manager for WSF’s terminal engineering department.
Greg Beardsley, head of Vashon’s Ferry Advisory Committee, has studied the project as part of a citizen advisory group and noted that it has the potential to delay ferry traffic on a route already prone to falling behind.
“I think people on the island need to understand what’s going to happen and that they’re going to have to have patience, because there is no other option,” he said.
McIntosh, who will be at the meeting, said the state determined two years ago that the Vashon ferry dock, which was built in the 1950s, is at risk of failing during an earthquake and should be upgraded.
The state will now build large braces at 10 spots along the dock and will replace 200 feet of wooden pilings with new steel ones. The $15 million project is funded through a mix of federal grants and state dollars.
“It is one of our highest priorities with respect to seismic concerns,” McIntosh said. “Especially since Vashon is an island, we want to ensure that in the event of a major earthquake, Vashon Island can continue to get service.”
During the first phase of construction, mid-June to early September, work will focus on the end of the dock, and one traffic lane on the dock will be blocked.
During the next two phases, from September until about April 1 of 2016, half of the dock will be under construction at a time, leaving just two lanes for traffic and a walkway for pedestrians. During that time, vehicles headed to Fauntleroy will begin lining up on Vashon Highway, and Southworth traffic will line up on 103rd Avenue SW, the hill right by the ferry parking lot. The bottom part of 103rd will become one-way, allowing only downhill traffic.
While ferries will still unload two lines of cars at a time during the construction, they won’t be able to load one boat while unloading another, McIntosh said. To help keep boats on time, WSF will tweak the schedule, changing some sailings by 5 minutes but not cutting any runs.
“It’s going to be tighter, but we’re adjusting the schedule in 5-minute increments to be as efficient as we can on the dock,” she said.
During construction, space at the end of the dock will also be limited, so drivers cannot drop off or pick up passengers there. The terminal will still accommodate drop-off of disabled passengers, McIntosh noted, though they may have to call ahead. She was unsure where drivers might park to drop off or pick up passengers while 103rd is a holding lane, but said that may be addressed at the meeting.
Buses will still be able to access the dock during the project, but there will be limited room for large trucks and other vehicles headed to Southworth to turn around on the dock as usual. As a result, vehicles 38 feet and longer will be restricted to six sailings to Southworth per day, when they will be able to drive straight on the ferry.
“Six sailings will provide more than enough to get them to Southworth,” McIntosh said. “They’re going to need to be mindful of when those sailings are.”
McIntosh noted that while the construction may cause delays, the phase the with fewest disruptions falls during the summer.
“We did take that into account,” she said. “We really tried to minimize the impact to the majority of travelers.”
She added that by the time the construction starts, work on the sewage pump station at the Fauntleroy dock should have wrapped up. WSF has also requested funding to restore a police officer to direct traffic at Fauntleroy, something the Legislature is currently considering. WSF recently adjusted the Vashon-Fauntleroy-Southworth schedule to try to alleviate the frequent ferry delays, though local ferry advocates believe more needs to be done to keep cars moving at Fauntleroy.
“We support having a police officer at Fauntleroy, but it does take Legislative action,” McIntosh said.
Beardsley, with the Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC), said early WSF plans included completely cutting some runs to work around construction. However, the citizen advisory group, which included representatives from the Fauntleroy and Southworth FACs, opposed that plan. The state listened to their feedback, Beardsley said, and overall he believes officials have worked to minimize disruption during the project. He called any construction mess better than losing the dock in an earthquake.
“This is not a project they can or will put off,” he said.
WSF will hold a meeting on the dock construction from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 12, at McMurray Middle School. There will be a presentation at 6:30 p.m.
