Back to the dry dock; St. Johns River Ferry to once again close for upgrades and maintenance

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It’s back to the dry dock for the St. Johns River Ferry.

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Service will once again be suspended for what the Jacksonville Transportation Authority said is “to support phase V infrastructure upgrades and engine maintenance.”

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The ferry service that links Mayport Village and Fort George Island will be temporarily suspended from Feb. 5 to Feb. 26, 2024.

“We understand how important this service is to the community,” JTA CEO Nat Ford Sr. said. “We’re working with our partners both to reduce the time the vessel is unavailable to our customers while ensuring that the ferry will provide the best possible service for years to come.”

Read: Shands Bridge to close for three consecutive weekends starting Jan. 26

JTA describes Phase V of upgrades as including installing catwalk access and mooring bollards, comprehensive updates to warehouse equipment and systems, improved signage, the preservation and refurbishment of the bridge gantry, replacement of the approach slab, and renovations to the Ft. George breakroom.

Action News Jax told you about the ferry’s last service suspension back in January 2023 for routine vessel maintenance.

Ford mentioned that JTA was then planning to bring a second ferry into the rotation. The goal was to find a vessel with hybrid technology for the future.

“We are looking at alternative fuels, will it be a hybrid electric type of vessel, will it be it be all-electric and so with it needing to have a 30-to-50-year life we have to look far into the future,” Ford said.

For updates and information about the ferry service outage click here for the official website.

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