The Elliott Bay Design Group, Seattle, announced that its design of a 275' hybrid passenger/vehicle ferry for the Delaware River and Bay Authority has gone out for bid. The vessel, with a battery-electric hybrid propulsion system, will accommodate 75 vehicles and up to 400 passengers on the Cape May, N.J. to Lewes, Del. route.
The ferry is designed for year-round service under USCG Subchapter H and will be classed by ABS for river operations. When complete the $74 million project will lead to replacement of the Cape Henlopen, a diesel-powered ferry that has served for 40 years. Bid proposals are due June 17.
In a March 17 capital budget statement, DRBA commissioners said the ferry project has an estimated cost to the authority of $5.46 million in 2025 and $78.63 million in the out years. The project is being partially funded with $20 million by the US Maritime Administration.
The DRBA capital improvement program includes new ship allision protection for the Delaware Memorial Bridge, a 10,880’ dual-span suspension bridge that carries Interstate 295 and U.S. Route 40 across the Delaware River between New Jersey and Delaware.
Protection for such major East Coast bridges came under heightened scrutiny after the ship allision and collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in March 2024. DRBA commissioners say “the existing tower fender system on the twin spans provides insufficient protection for current vessel traffic.”
The ongoing improvement project “provides a protection system meeting current standards and consists of eight 80’ diameter ‘dolphin’ structures, two at the approach each tower pier,” according to the budget statement. “The project is expected to be completed in October 2025 and has an estimated DRBA cost of $19.14 million remaining this year.”
