Project overview
Washington State Ferries is replacing the aging and seismically vulnerable Colman Dock in Seattle to maintain its critical role as a regional multimodal transportation hub.
Key project elements include: a concrete and steel trestle, main terminal building, entry building (with retail space), elevated walkway between the terminal building and the passenger-only ferry and replacing the overhead passenger walkway on the northernmost slip (slip #3). It also adds a bicycle entry and holding area north of Marion Street plus stairs and elevators to connect the facility to Alaskan Way. It also mitigates for additional overwater coverage.
What to expect
Slip three replacement began July 8 and continues until early 2025
One of the final pieces of the new terminal is to replace slip three's vehicle transfer span -- the overwater section you drive across to access the ferry. On July 8, slip three will close and remain closed until early 2025 as crews replace it.
Vessels serving Bremerton and Bainbridge will share slip one throughout the work. When both vessels are at the terminal, we’ll use slip two for the Bainbridge boat.
New ferry terminal provides seamless connection to city street
After six years of construction, the new terminal at Colman Dock opened in summer 2023. The Marion Street Bridge over Alaskan Way easily connects it to Seattle city streets.
- Street-level connections include two elevators and three staircases from Alaskan Way up to the elevated pedestrian connector.
- Elevated level has 20,500 square feet of public space with benches and new ticket and info booths.
The new passenger building, opened in November 2022, fully faces the water with 4,230 square feet of windows looking onto Elliott Bay and the city. Clerestory windows above bathe the space in natural light. Passengers have more than 20,000 feet of space to spread out as they await the ferry to Bremerton or Bainbridge Island. Construction began on the terminal building in 2017.
Features of the new ferry terminal:
- 20,026 square feet of passenger space--room for 1,900 ferry riders
- Twelve turnstiles for each route including six that are ADA-accessible
- Seating capacity of 362 seats—triple that of the old terminal building
- 4 restrooms with 24 stalls
- Ticket sales at booths on the temporary walkway and at kiosks (also buy tickets online)
- Elevator access located near the passenger only ferry terminal
- New Marion Street pedestrian bridge over Alaskan Way
See formal dedication celebration held on Monday, Oct. 23, 2023: video (courtesy of TVW).
Work continues on these elements:
- Ten food and retail vendor locations in the terminal building and in the rest of the project.
- Completion of street, sidewalk, and utility work in front of the entry building. When complete, a passenger pick-up and drop-off area and taxi parking will open.
Two new plazas along Alaskan / Dzidzilalich Way
This project adds two new plazas along Alaskan / Dzidzilalich Way, and we asked two local tribes to submit names for them. WSF consults with Tribes that are federally recognized with adjudicated treaty rights in the waters where our projects are located. In this case, the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and the Suquamish Tribe are both federally recognized and have treaty adjudicated hunting, fishing, and gathering rights in the waters of Elliott Bay. By naming these plazas in the traditional Lushootseed language, we can honor the legacy of the tribes and bring their history to this new facility.
- The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe has submitted sluʔwił for the south plaza near Yesler Way. It’s a reference to a canoe shortcut through the reeds near Colman Dock.
- The Suquamish Tribe has submitted ʔulułali for the north plaza near Columbia Street. It means place of traveling by water. Learn how to say it.
The entry building for the Seattle terminal at Colman Dock as seen from Alaskan Way. Project elements include new concrete and steel trestle, terminal building, entry building, elevated walkway to the passenger-only ferry, and new overhead passenger walkway on slip #3.
