First steel has been cut at the Damen Shipyard in Galati, Romania on the new $51 million ferry that will begin service in Fogo Island and Change Islands in September 2015. The new ferry will be an 80-metre ice-class vessel that has roll-on, roll-off capability and will accommodate up to 200 passengers and 60 vehicles.
“It is exciting to see the development of the new $51 million ferry which will service residents, tourists, and commercial operators going to and from Fogo Island and Change Islands for many years.
Our government’s commitment to supporting well-developed infrastructure, whether it is ferries, wharves, roads, bridges, or buildings, is contributing to community and economic development in rural and urban areas of Newfoundland and Labrador, ” said Nick McGrath, The Newfoundland and Labrador Minister of Transportation and Works.
In addition to progress being made on the new Fogo Island and Change Islands ferry, there are a number of activities underway and scheduled for the next year under the Provincial Government’s vessel replacement strategy that support safe, reliable, and sustainable ferry service.
These include:
“We are making great strides toward renewing our provincial ferry fleet and ensuring the necessary infrastructure is in place to accommodate the new vessels. Over the course of the next few months, this wave of activity will continue as we award a new 15-year marine service contract for Labrador and plan for new ferries that will service residents on the province’s south coast,” Minister McGrath added.
[mappress] Press Release, June 20, 2014