JACKSONVILLE, FL. (January 12, 2023) – JTA will suspend St. Johns River Ferry service from January 25 to May 2, 2023 for routine vessel maintenance required by the U.S. Coast Guard. The maintenance schedule was pushed back from its original start date due to both supply chain issues for the vessel parts and to minimize downtime of the service for our customers as much as possible.
The ferry haul out occurs every 2 to 3 years to ensure the vessel remains in a state of good repair. During the scheduled routine maintenance, JTA will begin Phase V of ongoing improvements while the vessel is out of service. Phase V improvements include site safety and operational improvements, extension of bulkhead walls, new catwalk accesses and mooring bollards, new warehouse equipment systems, improved signage, and bridge gantry preservation and rehabilitation.
When Phase V is complete in March of 2024, ferry riders will have improved points of entry and new dynamic information signage at a cost of $3 million.
The upgrades to the ferry are at the top of the list of JTA’s MOVE2027 RegionalWorks strategy to improve waterborne transportation in the Northeast Florida region.
“These improvements to the ferry and its facilities are critical as JTA addresses how we improve the regional waterborne network and expand water-based services as a viable option for commuters,” said JTA CEO Nat Ford. “We understand how important this service is to the community. While the safety of our mobility network is our top priority, we will continue to work with our partners to reduce the time the vessel is unavailable to our customers.”
This haul out will include the latest round of updates since JTA took over operation of the St. Johns River Ferry in 2016. Phase IV improvements were completed in 2022 and featured work on the ferry slip, restrooms and landscape and lighting improvements.
The St. Johns River Ferry is a car and passenger ferry that connects the north and south ends of Florida State Road A1A, linking Mayport Village and Fort George Island. The trip takes roughly 5 minutes and departs every half hour. For ferry hours of operation, visit ferry.jtafla.com.
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About the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA)
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) is an independent state agency serving Jacksonville, Florida and Northeast Florida with multi-modal responsibilities. The JTA provides varied mass public transit services, and is a builder of roads, bridges and other infrastructure to enhance mobility in Jacksonville. Public transportation services include BRT and regular bus service, paratransit, the St. Johns River Ferry, Skyway APM, and other mobility and on-demand services in Duval, Clay, Nassau and St. Johns counties. To learn more, visit www.jtafla.com.