MUKILTEO, Wash. — Washington's first new ferry dock in roughly four decades opens Tuesday. The new Mukilteo Ferry Dock will welcome passengers at the tollbooth at 5 p.m. The first ferry is scheduled to depart at 6:10 p.m.
The ferry travels between Mukilteo and Clinton on Whidbey Island. The Washington State Department of Transportation said the route is the busiest in the state, with roughly 4 million passengers every year.
"I'll miss the old building but I'm excited to see the new one and I understand there's going to be some great Native American art and things like that so that will be fantastic," said rider Sara Robertson.
The new dock is filled with art by members of the Tulalip Tribe. WSDOT said the tribe asked if the design could welcome people from both water and land. The Tulalip art includes images of orcas, salmon and a canoe that spans almost the entire width of the passenger terminal.
WSDOT said the passenger terminal is designed like a Coast Salish longhouse. The new terminal is built to withstand rising sea levels and has been designed to meet the current seismic standards.
WSDOT said walk-on passengers will temporarily load via the car-deck while crews work to finish an overhead ramp.