Please take this quick survey to provide your input to WSF!
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY FERRY INFORMATION |||
Washington State Ferries (WSF) will upgrade equipment at the Lopez and Orcas Island ferry terminals in spring 2027. A portion of this maintenance requires 48-hour service closures. WSF is interested in learning which days islanders would prefer to close the terminals on Lopez and Orcas.
San Juan County is helping gather community feedback regarding the best timing for these closures. Please take this quick survey to provide your input to WSF: https://engage.
What is the vehicle transfer span?
The vehicle transfer span is the part of the slip that raises and lowers to meet up with the ferry, allowing vehicles to drive on and off the vessel. The planned work replaces the major mechanical and electrical systems that raise and lower the span. While those components are being repaired, the transfer span will not function.
Why do we need to do this work?
The mechanical lift systems at the Anacortes, Lopez, and Orcas terminals have been in operation for several decades and are at the end of their life spans.
Upgrading the VTS systems improves safety for crews and reliability for passengers. It also standardizes operations for our terminal and vessel staff who rotate among terminals.
WSF will sequence the work to move from one terminal to the next to keep consistency of work crews and minimize passenger disruption. (See map showing the order of the upgrades.)
Why the full shutdown of ferry service?
The items of the transfer span that are to be replaced—lift beam, head frame, counterweights, and cables—are major structural and mechanical components of the ferry slip. The slip cannot operate without them.
Learn more about the systemwide vehicle transfer span update here: https://engage.
Your feedback on closure timing is greatly appreciated! Please take this quick, four-question survey to provide your input to WSF: https://engage.
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It’ll be a challenge, but the work must be done. The livelihood of the islands depends on it.