Construction kicks off for new Mukilteo ferry terminal

MUKILTEO, Wash. — Construction of the new Mukilteo ferry terminal kicked off with a celebration Wednesday.

The future ferry terminal site is one-third mile east of the existing terminal.

The Mukilteo/Clinton ferry route, which connects riders traveling between Whidbey Island and the Seattle-Everett area, is Washington State’s Ferries busiest route for vehicle traffic and had more than 4 million overall riders in 2015.

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The current ferry terminal was not built to withstand earthquakes and has not had significant improvements since the early 1980s.

Its layout makes it difficult for passengers to get in and out of the terminal and contributes to traffic backups and conflicts between vehicle and pedestrian traffic, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

The new terminal will include:

• Four new toll booths, a new passenger building and overhead passenger loading to improve safety.
• A new signalized intersection and expanded vehicle holding area to help reduce congestion on SR 525.
• A new transit center. Its location near the Sounder commuter rail station will improve transit connections.
• New maintenance and supervisor buildings

The terminal, expected to open in December 2019, and will cost about $139 million and will be paid for by a mix of federal and state funds.

Cox Media Group