After a year of construction at the north-end ferry dock, the ferry system has announced that construction is nearly complete and that waiting cars will again line up on the dock beginning Friday, July 1. Two-way traffic on 103rd Avenue will resume at the same time.

With the restriping of the dock, Washington State Ferries (WSF) modified the traffic pattern and vehicle waiting lanes, creating a dedicated Metro and bus staging area adjacent to the pedestrian walkway. Ferry officials say these modifications remove conflict with cars and working ferry slips and make it safer for school children, pedestrians and people with limited mobility to travel to and from the ferry.

Dock workers had been using this approach recently and determined it was more efficient than the previous configuration, according to WSF spokesman Ian Sterling. Fauntleroy-bound passengers will lose 12 dock spaces because of this change, and overflow cars will continue to line up on Vashon Highway.

WSF undertook the project at the 50-year-old Vashon dock to meet current seismic standards. Work over the last year included installing seismic braces at 10 critical locations along the dock and replacing 200 feet of timber trestle with concrete supported by steel piling, according to information Sterling provided.

While all the work on the surface of the trestle is complete, under-dock work will continue through early August, with crews working from a barge.

Construction-related delays are still possible. Passengers are encouraged to check VesselWatch to see if their ferries are on time.

Over the next few weeks, contractors will be putting the finishing touches on the project. This includes painting lane lines, completing some electrical work, welding, and repairing a dolphin (the vertical piles used for mooring and guiding the ferries). While the dolphin is being repaired on Wednesday, July 6, Slip 2 will be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. And while traffic lanes are being painted, flaggers will be in place to redirect traffic around this work.

“While WSF recognizes what an inconvenience the construction project has been, we hope that Vashon Island will appreciate a much safer, more protected transportation corridor,” WSF officials said in a statement.