WSDOT’s Ferries Division received more than $4.2 million in federal Recovery Act funds from the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) in March for ferry vessel preservation work. That investment allowed the MV Spokane and the MV Evergreen State to get a new coat of paint.

In all, the PSRC provided $8.4 million in local Recovery Act funds to WSF projects.

Ferry vessels need to be painted approximately every seven years, but due to vessel availability, the Spokane had not been painted in approximately eight years. Due to the availability of funds and the timing of vessel procurement and retirement, the Evergreen State not been painted in approximately 14 years.

The Spokane ($2 million) and Evergreen State ($914,000) paint projects were completed under budget.

The remaining vessel preservation funds ($1.28 million) will be spent on one of the next vessels in line for preservation work.

The PSRC also allocated Recovery Act funds to repair the Vashon Island ferry terminal and seismically upgrade four ferry dock transfer spans (the moveable bridge where the dock meets the vessel). The long-needed Vashon Island terminal preservation project received more than $3 million to replace 12 piles and make more than 30 repairs at various locations on the timber trestle of the Vashon dock. The project also includes removal and replacement of existing cracked asphalt pavement on the trestle.

Meanwhile, more than $1.13 million in Recovery Act funds will be used to seismically retrofit transfer spans at the Seattle,