Colman Dock terminal shrinking, losing amenities during renovation

SEATTLE — Ferry riders in Seattle will see more changes at Colman Dock as part of its major renovation project.

The space inside the terminal will shrink by about half due to the next phase of construction.

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It's all part of $350 million renovation project to make the terminal more modern and earthquake safe.

Partial demolition of the terminal will limit the number of passenger seats and eliminate some amenities in the terminal, including a number of restaurants.

Officials say the smaller terminal will allow crews to work more safely and efficiently while maintaining full ferry service.

Reporter Patranya Bhoolsuwan looked inside the terminal Tuesday morning and found a Subway restaurant is now a construction zone.

There will be the same number of sailings to Bremerton and Bainbridge Island, but schedules shifted at the beginning of the year, so there won't be as many passengers inside the terminal at one time.

The ticket booth, restrooms and information desk will remain the same and pedestrian connections to Alaskan Way and Marion Street Bridge will remain open.

A new passenger-only terminal is scheduled to be completed by fall of this year, with the whole project slated to be completed in 2023.

More about the project from the Washington State Department of Transportation:

Key project elements include:

• Replacing the existing timber trestle portion of the dock with a new concrete and steel trestle
• Replacing the main terminal building
• Replacing the passenger-only ferry facility on the south edge of Colman Dock with funding from King County
• Constructing a new elevated walkway between the terminal building and the passenger-only ferry facility
• Replacing the overhead loading facility on the northernmost slip
• Adding a bicycle entry and holding area north of Marion Street
• Maintaining an elevated connection between the terminal building and the Marion Street Bridge
• Providing stairs and elevators to connect the facility to Alaskan Way
• Mitigating for additional overwater coverage

The project will:

• Ensure that the Colman Dock facility can continue to provide safe and reliable ferry service between Seattle and communities in Kitsap County and the Olympic Peninsula
• Improve safety by meeting current seismic standards
• Reduce conflicts between vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians and improve operational efficiencies
• Improve pedestrian circulation and accessibility
• Remove 7,400 tons of creosote-treated timber piles from Elliott Bay
• Open up an area of shoreline and near-shore habitat
• Provide stormwater treatment for all new and replaced areas of the trestle
• Provide opportunities for remediation of contaminated sediments
  

Cox Media Group