SEATTLE — The state Department of Transportation’s Ferries Division today awarded a contract to Todd Pacific Shipyards to build two additional 64-car ferries — one for the Port Townsend-Keystone ferry route.
Construction is expected to begin early next year.
Todd Shipyards submitted a $114 million bid to the state Thursday to build two more 64-car ferries.
For the Port Townsend-Keystone route, Todd now is constructing the first of the new class of ferries at its ship yard on Harbor Island in Seattle along with three other ship yards.
The additional 64-car ferries will be similar in design to the one now under construction, with capacity for up to 750 passengers. The next steps include a signed contract and contract security returned from Todd Shipyards.
Washington State Ferries awarded a contract to Todd to construct the first 64-car ferry in December 2008. That vessel is scheduled to go into service on the Port Townsend/Keystone route in late-summer 2010.
“This contract award is expected to sustain nearly 400 family wage jobs.” said Gov. Chris Gregoire in a prepared statement.
“These locally built ferries will improve the reliability of auto-passenger ferry service to the communities they will serve.”
The schedule for vessel construction is about 20 months each for the second and third vessels.
Also involved in Todd’s ferry-construction team are Nichols Brothers Boat Builders of Freeland on Whidbey Island, which is building the pilot houses and the superstructure that will include the passenger cabin above the deck, and Everett Shipyard, which is building the vessel’s mezzanine section and curtain plates, the sides of the vessel.
Jesse Engineering of Tacoma is building the ferry’s steering compartments at both ends of the vessel.
The state ferries system must exercise the option to construct the third vessel in the contract, the fourth overall, no later than May 31, 2011. The fourth vessel would be either a 64-car ferry or 144-car ferry depending on the availability of funds through the state Legislature.
Once those documents are received, the state will issue a notice to proceed with construction.
“I greatly appreciate the governor’s leadership as we move forward on the ambitious construction of these new vessels,” said David Moseley, assistant transportation secretary for the state Department of Transportation Ferries Division. “Constructing these ferries brings us closer to creating a ferry system that meets the needs of our customers throughout Puget Sound.”
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Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.