Partial ferry closure plan gets go-ahead

"Ferry riders have spoken, and ferry officials concur -- there will be only a partial shutdown of the Clinton/Mukilteo ferry route for several weeks next fall."

“Ferry riders have spoken, and ferry officials concur — there will be only a partial shutdown of the Clinton/Mukilteo ferry route for several weeks next fall.Plans are to replace the wingwalls at the Mukilteo dock. Riders were surveyed to see if they would prefer a quick, total, three-week closure of the dock, or an eight-week partial closure during middays only. During closures, the ferry will dock at Edmonds instead of Mukilteo. The longer run cuts in half the number of vehicles that can be carried.Ferry officials met Thursday in Mukilteo with members of the Clinton and Keystone ferry advisory committees, as well as Mike Shelton, Island County commissioners.Jack Leengran, chair of the Clinton advisory committee, was one of those in attendance. He said about 75 percent of survey respondents favored the partial closure, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday through Friday.We got the final answer, Leengran said. Everything seems to be nailed down now. The partial shutdown will begin in late September and continue in October and possibly into November.Commuters especially wanted to retain early morning and afternoon service between Clinton and Mukilteo, Leengran said.”