Broken terminal shuts down Coupeville ferry Thursday

Published 4:03 pm Thursday, September 25, 2014

The Coupeville ferry was temporarily out of service today after crews found broken terminal equipment.

Washington State Ferries spokeswoman Marta Coursey said around 10:30 a.m. crews discovered movement in the transfer span at the terminal.

“Crews immediately launched a rescue boat, which found several bolts connecting the apron hinge were sheared off or broken,” she said.

The terminal was shut down for several hours, resuming limited service at 1:15 p.m.

Vehicle weight restrictions were limited to 32,000 pounds and loading and unloading will be limited to single-lane travel.

Coursey said a more comprehensive inspection will be done overnight and travel alerts will be issued to inform travelers.