Governor Bob Ferguson has selected Eastern Shipbuilding Group’s $714.5 million bid to build three new 160-vehicle hybrid-electric ferries for Washington State Ferries (WSF)—the state’s first competitive ferry construction bid in over 25 years. Eastern’s proposal came in 6% below WSF’s estimates and significantly under the competing bid. Including additional costs, the first vessel is expected to total $405 million. This move aligns with Governor Ferguson’s broader push to restore ferry service to pre-pandemic levels and strengthen fleet resilience. WSF is also investing over $39 million in crew hiring and training as part of a system-wide revitalization.
