Waterside ferry service to reopen for Memorial Day weekend after repairs
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The ferry from Olde Towne Portsmouth to Waterside in Norfolk has been repaired and will reopen in time for Memorial Day Weekend.
Hampton Roads Transit announced Wednesday afternoon that the service will be fully restored at 5:30 a.m. on Friday, May 24. The initial timeline had service returning late this month, before Norfolk’s Harborfest weekend from June 7-9.
The ferry service stop at Waterside has been closed since mid April to repair damage to the dock’s pylons. HRT also temporarily closed service to its North Landing stop in Portsmouth to consolidate service at High Street.
Previous: Norfolk welcomes two new ferries to Waterside Ferry Dock
Now all three of those stops, as well as the ferry stop at Harbor Park, will be fully operational. Memorial Day also means service every 15 minutes in afternoons and evenings during weekends.
Since the closure, there has been a bus service from Waterside to Portsmouth every 30 minutes. Meanwhile the ferries that did go to Norfolk were redirected to the Harbor Park ferry landing. That route will now revert to its regular service to and from North Landing in Portsmouth before and after Tides games starting with Tuesday’s game.
2024 Norfolk Harborfest lineup announced
To help resume service, City of Norfolk crews built a ramp over an unsupported area of the dock as a temporary repair, with a cost estimate of about $175,000, the city says.
“We thank the City of Norfolk and its leadership for quickly designing and implementing a safe and functional solution so we can restore regular service for our customers,” said William E. Harrell, President and CEO of HRT. “At the same time, we appreciate the patience of our customers during a temporary workaround. We look forward to another popular summer for the ferry, and we invite the public to cross the river with us for unparalleled access to – and views of – downtown Norfolk and Olde Towne Portsmouth.”
Improvements to Waterside’s ferry dock were listed by staff as one of the highest infrastructure needs in city’s recently improved capital improvement program. $1.5 million was allocated for the upcoming fiscal year to replace “failing and deteriorating decking.”
‘Chesapeake Queen’: Cape Charles woman buys Elizabeth River ferry at auction on a whim
“Current conditions, including missing boards, and wood deterioration and age of the dock have created life safety hazards,” the city’s CIP document reads.
Additional, more permanent repairs are expected to begin in late fall or winter after design work is complete.
You can see HRT’s full service schedule here.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com.
