Ticonderoga Ferry To Operate Til End Of December
Posted on Saturday, 14 of November , 2009 at 5:13 pm
TICONDEROGA–An agreement has been reached with the owners of the Ticonderoga Ferry to keep the ferry in service until the end of December, weather permitting, according to officials from the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) and the New York State Department of Transportation NYSDOT).
The deal keeps the ferry open and running 7 days a week from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., weather permitting, and will still be available free of charge for passengers.
The 80-year-old Lake Champlain Bridge which spans Lake Champlain between Crown Point and Chimney Point, Vt., was closed Oct. 16 after the piers supporting the bridge were found to be severely deteriorated. A state disaster emergency has been declared by Gov. Paterson in Essex County and the neighboring areas adversely affected by the emergency closure of the Lake Champlain Bridge.
About 3,500 vehicles used the span daily.
Normally, the ferry service is seasonal and shuts down each fall. VTrans and NYSDOT have reached an agreement with the ferry company that will allow the ferry operator to install winterizing equipment designed to allow the ferry to operate in colder weather.
Lake Champlain is relatively shallow where the ferry operates, and eventually the lake is expected to freeze and prevent the service from continuing despite winterization efforts. Also, snow and ice conditions on specific days could cause the operator to cancel or curtail service on short notice for either safety or mechanical reasons.
The agreement with the ferry operator is designed to aid the ferry service and help provide the company the ability to run into December, as long as weather conditions allow. The agreement does not assure service until the end of December as Mother Nature may force the ferry service to close before then.
In addition, the states are finalizing plans for a charter bus service that will run from the Ticonderoga area and take people across the lake on the Essex ferry. This replacement option will be able to assure a reliable all-weather method of crossing the lake once winter weather sets in.
The Governors of both states had emphasized that until a new bridge can be built, a temporary new ferry service should be established as quickly as possible. To that end, they noted that all of the required environmental documentation will be submitted to the appropriate federal agencies so that construction of new ferry docks can begin as soon as possible.
Last month, NY’s Governor David Paterson and Vermont Governor Jim Douglas announced transportation alternatives to assure that residents could cross Lake Champlain. Those alternatives include a free ferry service between Ticonderoga and Shoreham, Vt., as well as free ferry service at Lake Champlain Transportation’s ferry service at the Essex/Charlotte crossing. Additionally, a free express bus service now brings commuters to three major employers in Vermont, while a pedestrian ferry service was established north of the Lake Champlain Bridge between Westport, NY and Basin Harbor, Vt.
Free ferry service is available at the Ticonderoga and Essex/Charlotte ferries. Ferry operators have expanded their service to accommodate early morning and late evening crossings.
Shuttle service is available from public and private park-and-ride locations – including the Wal-Mart in Ticonderoga and Nu-Cleaners in Port Henry – to the Essex/Charlotte Ferry. On arriving in Vermont, passengers can then board shuttles from the ferry to downtown Burlington. Additional park-and-ride locations can be found at www.nysdot.gov
Shuttle service is also available from the Essex County Fairgrounds to the pedestrian ferry between Westport, NY, and Basin Harbor, Vt. Once the ferry reaches Basin Harbor, Vermont, there is a connection to Addison County Transit Resources’ service to Middlebury Merchants Row.
Anyone having questions about the Lake Champlain Bridge or alternative crossings, may call toll-free at 1-888-769-7243 or visit us the Community Outreach Center, located at 814 Bridge Rd. in Crown Point.
A toll-free hotline number for information about the bridge closure – 1-888-769-7243 – which was established in October will remain open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Those calling from the 518 area code may dial 518-485-1159. The New York State outreach center is located in the Lake Champlain Visitors Center at 814 Bridge Rd. in Crown Point.
http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2009/11/12/new_bridge
http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2009/11/09/unstable_bridg/ 11-14-09
Category: Adirondacks, Breaking News, Consumers, Good News, Government, New York State
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