PORT TOWNSEND — A decision is expected by the end of the week on whether a lone bid for construction of a new over-estimate 50-car ferry based on the Steilacoom II will be rejected entirely.
In addition, all plans could be dropped for such a ferry, with the state moving on to building a larger style of ferry for the Port Townsend-Keystone route.
Or the proposal could be repackaged, perhaps with a different time line, state Transportation Department Secretary Paula Hammond said Tuesday.
The state also could accept Todd Pacific Shipyards’ bid of nearly $26 million to build a new 50-car ferry for the Port Townsend run. The bid was opened on Thursday in Seattle.
But state officials are leaning toward rejecting the bid that was nearly $9 million over the state’s cost estimate, Hammond said.
“We have three options,” she said.
“We accept the bid, we repackage the bid or we move on to the Island Home.”
The Island Home, Northwest-built but sailing in Massachusetts, carries more cars in the style of the four 80-year-old Steel Electric-class vessels mothballed late last year because of hull deterioration.
State engineers and some legislators believe the Island Home-class ferries would carry more cars across the difficult waters of Admiralty Inlet, yet still maneuver through the shoals of tricky Keystone Harbor.
The state Legislature has budgeted $100 million for three new ferries.
One was to be modeled on the Steilacoom II which now serves the route on lease to the state.
The new vessel was to be built immediately and begin service in May 2009.
Two were to be based on the 64-car Island Home and be built in 2010.
State officials are discussing repackaging the bid for the Steilacoom II-type ferry to see if they can lower the cost, Hammond said.
“We haven’t reached our final conclusion.
“I think, in the next several days, we will decide if we reject the bid, and then we will decide what to do.
“By the end of the week, we will have our plan of action in place.”
Hammond said the state was meeting with Todd Shipyards of Seattle and exploring the reasons for the costlier bid.
