On Wednesday, the Steamship Authority took one of the two transfer bridges at the Vineyard Haven terminal out of service for repairs. Wednesday afternoon a jackhammer operator could be seen (and definitely heard) at work on the bridge, with a welder nearby.
Steamship Authority spokesman Sean Driscoll told The Times steel decking on the bridge is being cut and rewelded due to warping. By Friday it’s expected to be repaired and cemented over, he said.
In response to being asked if the work constituted an emergency repair, Driscoll said it was “not an emergent situation.”
He said it was a known problem the SSA was trying to fix before the season picked up.
As a result of the slip being offline, some vessels, primarily freight boats, could be diverted to Oak Bluffs.
