Keller Ferry
.JPG) The current boat operating on the route, the M/V Sanpoil. | |
| Locale | Keller, Washington |
|---|---|
| Waterway | Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake |
| Route |  Washington State Route 21 |
| Carries | Passengers and automobiles |
| Operator | Washington State Department of Transportation |
| Began operation | Early 1890s |
| Predecessor | Martha S., San Poil of Seattle (barge) and Ann of Wilbur (tug), L.A. McLeod, and Keller |
| No. of vessels | 1 (M/V Sanpoil) |
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The M/V Sanpoil, also known as the Keller Ferry, is the only Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) owned and operated ferry in Eastern Washington (the rest are on Puget Sound in Western Washington). She crosses the Columbia River (Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake) between Lincoln County and Ferry County at the confluence of the Columbia and the Sanpoil River. This ferry run has been under state control since 1930, and connects the northern and southern segments of State Route 21. This was the first ferry owned and run by the state of Washington; the more familiar state-owned Puget Sound ferries did not commence until 1951.[1] Hours of operation are 6:00 a.m. to Midnight 7 days per week. The fare to ride is free.
The new Keller ferry, the M/V Sanpoil, is 116 feet in length, and is designed to carry 20 passenger vehicles, two single tractor-trailer trucks and 9 passenger vehicles, or a double tractor-trailer truck and 8 passenger vehicles.[2] It was christened, blessed, and began service on August 14, 2013, after the Martha S. docks were refit to handle the larger replacement vessel. [3] [4] The name "Sanpoil" is an Anglicized version of the name of the native peoples of the surrounding area, and is the name of the river adjacent SR 21 to the north of the ferry.[5]
The project to acquire a replacement ferry for the Martha S. was funded by the Washington State Legislature during the 2011 session. The Colville Confederated Tribes contributed $2 million of the approximately $12 million cost of the new vessel. On Nov. 16, 2011, WSDOT awarded a contract for construction of the replacement vessel with delivery slated for May 2013. Justification for replacing the Martha S. includes replacement parts for it are no longer being commercially manufactured and must be custom-made as needed. In addition she has a limited capacity, especially when large trucks are on board.
The previous Keller ferry, the Martha S., was powered by two diesel engines making total 470 horsepower, and was 80 feet in length and 30 feet in beam. Its maximum capacity was 12 cars, or a single tractor-trailer truck alone, but it was unable to accommodate highway legal double tractor-trailer trucks. She was launched in 1948 and had been in continuous service until being retired Sunday, July 7, 2013.[1][4]The vessel was named in honor of Martha Shain, the wife of State Highway Director Clarence Shain at the time it was put in service.
Prior to Martha S., another ferry, the L. A. McLeod, a Diesel powered side-wheeler, served the crossing from 1939 to 1944. Between the L. A. McLeod and Martha S., the route was served by a barge called the San Poil of Seattle, which was pushed by a tugboat, the Ann of Wilbur.[6] Before the L. A. McLeod was a cable ferry, the Keller, which had an on-board motor to winch the boat across the river.[7]
See also
References
- ^ a b State Ferries in Eastern Washington, WSDOT, retrieved 2009-04-02
- ^ "New Vessel Folio" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
- ^ "WSDOT- Project - SR 21 - Keller Ferry Replacement". Washington State Department of Transportation. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
- ^ a b "Last ride for aging Columbia ferry", The Seattle Times, p. B1, July 8, 2013
- ^ "New Vessel name fact sheet" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
- ^ Paula Becker (January 26, 2005), "Original Keller Ferry site floods as the Columbia River rises behind the newly constructed Grand Coulee Dam in the winter of 1939/1940.", HistoryLink, Seattle: History Ink
- ^ "WSDOT - Keller Ferry Historical Photos". Washington State Department of Transportation.