PORT TOWNSEND — Todd Pacific Shipyard was once again the lone bidder to build a second 64-car ferry for the Port Townsend-Keystone run, coming in Thursday morning with a total bid of $164.9 million.
This time, however, the bid was about $13.5 million under Washington State Ferries’ estimate on three 64-car ferries.
David Moseley, deputy Transportation secretary for the Ferries Division, said he expected the bid to be awarded in about two weeks.
Todd, which is now building the hull of the first 64-car Port Townsend-Keystone ferry at its ship yard on Harbor Island in Seattle, includes the construction option of a third 64-car ferry for the state to use elsewhere in the ferry system.
Also involved in building the first ferry are Nichols Brothers Boat Builders of Freeland on Whidbey Island, which is building the pilot houses and the superstructure that will include the passenger cabin above the deck, and Everett Shipyard, which is building the vessel’s mezzanine section and curtain plates, the sides of the vessel.
Jesse Engineering of Tacoma is building ferry components.
The state solicited bids for construction and delivery of two 64-car ferries with an optional third vessel.
Todd’s proposed bid price for the first two vessels in the contract was $114 million. The state ferries engineer’s estimate is $109.9 million.
The timeline for vessel construction is about 20 months each for the first two vessels. The decision to exercise the option to add the construction of a third vessel will be made no later than May 31, 2011.
Moseley said the state has a good working relationship with Todd since construction began on the first ferry last spring, and he believes that played a role in the lower bid in this go-round.
Todd’s lone bid on the 64-car vessel proposal in December 2008 came in $40 million over budget to build two Island Home-style ferries for the Port Townsend-Keystone route.
Todd proposed bid was $124,450,559 for two vessels and $65,487,328 for one, with Todd Chief Executive Officer Steve Welch explaining that the tight deadline, major state changes in the vessel’s design and rising expense of materials drove the price up.
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Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
