Washington State Ferries Gets Only Two Bids for the Newbuildings
Only two U.S. shipyards submitted bids on Monday 12 May to build a new generation of up to five new, “hybrid-electric 160-auto ferries” for Washington State Ferries.
The yards are Eastern Shipbuilding Group of Panama City, Florida and Nichols Brothers Boat Builders of Freeland, Washington.
A contract is expected to be awarded this summer.
A good article in the Washington State Standard explains the discrepancy between the budget set aside (1.3 billion USD) and the costs which are expected to rise considerably.
“I don’t see how you get to five. There’s money for three on a good day,” said state House Transportation Committee Chair Jake Fey, D-Tacoma.
Read the full article here: https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/05/12/washington-state-ferry-bids/
