Ferry Service Closed to Vehicles in Late October

Graphic indicates  parts of terminal dock  that will be repaired in  late October , necessitating restriction of vehicle transport.

From Washington State Ferries

Construction will take place at the Orcas Island ferry terminal in October  2012. There is a planned closure to vehicle traffic from after the day’s last sailing on Monday, Oct. 22, 2012, through midday Friday, Oct. 26, 2012. Walk-on passenger service will be maintained during this closure.

This work will replace the apron’s hydraulic system, the apron’s hinge system and the end floor beam of the transfer span girder.The apron is the last 15 feet of the bridge that moves up and down with the vessel as vehicles load and unload from the ferry.

WSF awarded the contract to Quigg Brothers Construction in July.

This project will require a closure of the terminal to vehicle traffic while the apron is removed and the necessary modifications are made. The plan is to remove the apron and install a temporary pedestrian gangway that will span the gap. This gangway will be lowered onto and lifted off of the vessels by moving the transfer span up and down. The ferries will continue to operate on their normal schedules for departures from Orcas; however, arrivals will be shifted to reduce the amount of time vessels spend at the dock in order to allow for construction activities to be completed more quickly.

WSF’s Customer Service department is working with the community to mitigate the inconvenience of the closure to vehicle traffic. WSF will provide free parking spaces in the Anacortes terminal upper parking lot Oct. 21-27 for Orcas drivers who are pre-authorized and have a dashboard permit. Please stop by the Orcas terminal and fill out an application by Sept. 21.

In determining when to have this closure (spring vs. fall), WSF’s Customer Service department contacted the Orcas School District as well as YMCA Camp Orkila. The last week of October was chosen with the help of the community.

Why is WSDOT Ferries Division (WSF) replacing the apron’s hydraulic and hinge systems at the Orcas ferry terminal?

The apron’s hydraulic system at Orcas has no containment for any of its valves and pumps; this means there are multiple locations where a hydraulic leak could occur and enter the waters of Puget Sound. Orcas is the last remaining WSF terminal that has an uncontained hydraulic system.

The outdated open hydraulic system at the Orcas Ferry Landing

Also, due to the vertical hydraulic cylinder design at Orcas, structural damage to the bridge can be caused when loading occurs. The hinges that are part of the lever arms as well as the hinges for the apron are distorted and are prone to binding which causes problems with the smooth operation of the system.

The End Result
When this work is complete at the Orcas ferry terminal, the risk of a spill from the hydraulic system will be greatly reduced. A number of structural deficiencies will also have been addressed.

Project Benefits

• Environmental: The hydraulic spill risk will be mitigated.
• Safety: The structural issues that may have led to failure of the transfer span will be fixed.

Financial Information:Project signage will reflect the cost of construction engineering, project bid award and sales tax.

Budget: $400,000 through the Terminal Engineering Maintenance Operating Funds

For more information, contact:
John Callahan
WSF Construction Project Engineer
206-515-3755
john.callahan@wsdot.wa.gov

Marta Coursey
WSF Director of Communications
206-515-3918
marta.coursey@wsdot.wa.gov