Seattle Gov. Jay Inslee joined local officials, construction crews and the Washington Department of Transportation on Monday, Oct. 23 in a dedication ceremony at the new Seattle Multimodal Ferry Terminal at Colman Dock.
(WSDOT photo)
After investing $489 million and more than six years for a major construction project on the Seattle Waterfront, there is a reason to celebrate.
Seattle Gov. Jay Inslee joined local officials, construction crews and the Washington Department of Transportation on Monday, Oct. 23 in a dedication ceremony at the new Seattle Multimodal Ferry Terminal at Colman Dock.
Washington State Ferries was tasked with replacing the aging and seismically vulnerable Colman Dock to maintain its critical role as a regional multimodal transportation hub.
Key project elements included: a concrete and steel trestle, main terminal building, entry building (with retail space), elevated walkway between the terminal building and the passenger-only ferry and replacing the overhead passenger walkway on the northernmost slip (slip #3). It also added a bicycle entry and holding area north of Marion Street plus stairs and elevators to connect the facility to Alaskan Way. It also mitigates for additional overwater coverage.
"Our ferry system has a new front door," said Inslee. "America's largest ferry system is evolving, and this terminal is a sign of things to come. It's gorgeous, it's accessible and it's a technological marvel. It's a next-generation dock for the next-generation, hybrid-electric ferries you'll see on our waters here soon."
The flagship ferry terminal serves two of Washington State Ferries' busiest routes. Opened in stages, the full passenger building welcomed passengers in November 2022; the entry building along Alaskan Way and elevated pedestrian walkway opened in August 2023.
Other speakers at the ceremony joining the governor included Suquamish Tribal Council Vice Chair Josh Bagley, Muckleshoot Tribal Vice Chair Donny Stevenson, King County Executive Dow Constantine, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, WSDOT Secretary Roger Millar and WSDOT Assistant Secretary Patty Rubstello. The event caps a six-year success thanks to all parties involved.
"The Colman Dock project showcases the strength of our partnerships and the teams' innovative design and construction approach," said Millar. "It also demonstrates our commitment to building modern, multimodal terminals for the future."
He noted that the terminal is built to current seismic standards and includes environmental features such as passive heating and cooling. The project also helps restore salmon habitat by opening up 180 ft. of shoreline north of the terminal where a bulkhead once sat.
Crews began construction work in 2017 to replace the seismically vulnerable terminal at Colman Dock. Overall construction on the project included:
- Completed the southern third of the new terminal building, which opened in September 2019 for passengers traveling to and from Bremerton and Bainbridge Island;
- Launched work on the second and final phase of terminal building construction, including finishing the exterior of the building, and completing interior electrical, wiring and finish work to open the full terminal in 2022;
- Constructed a temporary pedestrian overpass at Columbia Street to the terminal, which allows people to bypass busy Alaskan Way;
- Completed the new overhead loading passenger structure for slip 3, on the north end of the terminal;
- Constructed the foundation of the new trestle for current and future vehicle holding, with a total of 500 new steel piles and concrete to meet seismic and operating requirements;
- Built the new passenger-only ferry terminal on the south side of Colman Dock for the King County Water Taxi and the Kitsap Transit Passenger Only Ferry boats.
While most of the heavy construction work has been completed, there still are a few items that will be addressed in 2024. The Marion Street pedestrian bridge will open this fall, directly linking the terminal to city streets, along with the following upgrades:
- Two new tribal-named plazas along Alaskan Way;
- Bike corral;
- Up to 10 food/retail businesses;
- New passenger pick-up/drop-off area;
- Art installations;
- The refurbished Colman Clock.
WSF, a division of WSDOT, is the largest ferry system in the U.S. and safely and efficiently carries tens of millions of people a year.
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