SHINE – The Washington State Department of Transportation (DOT) has contracted with Victoria Express for water shuttle service that DOT’s Ferries Division crews will operate between South Point and Lofall when the Hood Canal Bridge closes for six weeks.

The public service begins May 1, according to a DOT press release. The free water shuttle will depart the docks in Lofall and South Point every half hour between 4 a.m. and 11 p.m. during the May-June bridge closure. The 149-passenger vessels will have the capability to transport more than 11,000 people daily.

“The reliable movement of people and goods is critical to our economy, especially in an area so dependent on the Hood Canal Bridge,” said Paula Hammond, secretary of Transportation. “The water shuttle service will serve a dual role during the closure. It will address a major need by providing people a quick, reliable way to access the Olympic Peninsula, and it will help reduce traffic on US 101.”

Kitsap, Jefferson and Clallam transit will offer connecting services, transporting travelers from the docks at Lofall and South Point to corresponding park-and-ride lots in Port Gamble and Shine Pit, as well as communities throughout the Kitsap and Olympic peninsulas.

“Dovetailing the water shuttle and transit services like this saves people time and money that they would have spent driving around on US 101,” Hammond said. “The combined services provide travelers another option in getting to and from the Olympic Peninsula during the closure.”

The Port Angeles-based Victoria Express vessels will begin practice runs between water shuttle docks in late April.

The closure will be a challenging time for travelers. The DOT is encouraging people to get ready now, reviewing their transportation options to determine the most viable.

The Hood Canal Bridge retrofit and replacement project is 87 percent complete and will improve the existing east half.

For more information, visit http://www.hoodcanalbridge.com/.