As the Steamship Authority (SSA) prepares for what should be another busy summer season, the ferry line will be in a rush to train its staff for the new terminal in Woods Hole.
During the Steamship Authority meeting on Tuesday, April 21, SSA COO Mark Amundsen said construction of the terminal is expected to be completed on June 16, about a month later than initially planned.
While work continues, Amundsen said the ferry line’s staff will be able to access the main portion of the building as soon as May 23.
“This is really important because with the summer season coming fast, we need to get in there,” Amundsen said. “We need to get our people trained. It’s going to be a major change.”
Some changes include the flow of people in the terminal and traffic outside of the building. Markings will need to be painted on the pavement and signs installed for vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
Peter Jeffrey, board chair and Falmouth representative, suggested inviting people outside of the SSA, like Vineyarders who regularly ride the ferries and members of the Falmouth Bike and Pedestrian Committee, to gather feedback on whether the signs and markings are “user-friendly and intuitive.”
According to numbers provided by the SSA during the meeting, construction of the utility and terminal buildings are estimated to cost $36.98 million, lower than the budgeted $39.16 million. This $36.98 million estimation was calculated before $304,543.60 in change orders from Colantonio Inc., the contractor building the project, stemming from several factors, such as a delay of the construction completion by a month and the spate of winter storms impacting costs and schedule.
Lian Davis of BIA.Studio, the architectural firm that designed the new terminal, said additional time was needed due to unforeseen circumstances underground, like boulders, and a postponed construction start date delayed because of geothermal wells that needed to be completed first and a request by the SSA to wait before construction started.
The board approved the change orders 4-0. New Bedford representative Moira Tierney was absent.
Despite more preparations needed for visitors to the new terminal, Amundsen expressed optimism for the “beautiful building” that provides a view of all of the SSA’s slips.
“I think it’s really going to be well received by the traveling public,” he said.
The new terminal’s utility building, which holds room for ferry staff like lockers and storage space, has been completed and is expected to get a certificate of occupancy from the state this week.
Meanwhile, summer visitors will also see another addition: The newly activated freight ferry, the Monomoy. The Monomoy sailed its first trip to Nantucket on April 17, though SSA General Manager Alex Kryska said the vessel had experienced a “slight hiccup” because of a fuel injector that had to be replaced the same evening. The last trip on April 17 was canceled.
“She’s been running since then pretty reliably,” Kryska said.