SEATTLE – Governor Bob Ferguson has chosen Eastern Shipbuilding Group, based in Florida, to construct three new 160-vehicle hybrid-electric ferries.
The $714.5 million bid was selected for being 6% lower than Washington State Ferries’ (WSF) engineer estimate, Gov. Ferguson said in a release.
“After careful consideration and conversations with legislative leaders, I believe Eastern is the best option to build these critically important vessels at a fair cost to our taxpayers,” Ferguson said.
Ferguson stated that the contracting process will commence soon, marking the first competitive bid for ferry construction in over 25 years. This project aims to restore ferry service to pre-pandemic levels and introduce hybrid-electric vessels.
Deputy Transportation Secretary for WSF, Steve Nevey, expressed excitement about the progress, noting, “As we follow Governor Ferguson’s direction to focus on service, it’s exciting, as we restore additional vessels on three routes, to also move forward with constructing new ferries.”
The total cost for the first vessel, including additional expenses such as equipment and crew training, will be approximately $405 million. Subsequent vessels will cost $360 million and $325 million, respectively, the release added.
