Building the first new terminal in 40 years for the country’s largest ferry system, operated by the Washington State Dept. of Transportation, entailed grappling with tricky site conditions and culturally sensitive concerns. The $187-million Mukilteo Ferry Terminal required multiple contracts and a unique stormwater system.
The terminal is replacing a 63-year-old structure that is part of State Route 525, Washington State Ferries’ (WSF) second-busiest ferry route with 4 million riders annually and an expected walk-on ridership increase of 124% by 2040. Hemmed in by other development, the new terminal is built one-third of a mile east of the existing structure on what was an abandoned World War II-era U.S. Air Force fueling station.