LEWES, Del. – Officials gathered in Lewes Wednesday to celebrate a $20 million grant from the US Department of Transportation. That money will go towards the construction of a brand new ship, joining the Cape May-Lewes Ferry Fleet.
“It’ll be American made. It’ll pull out from the dock and you won’t see that big cloud of black diesel smoke. It’ll last longer, it’ll be more fuel efficient. And it’s the result of a great bipartisan effort,” said Delaware Senator Chris Coons.
Director of Ferry Operations Heath Gehrke said it’s about time: “It’s really becoming difficult to find parts to keep the ferry running reliably. It’s due to be replaced.”
Officials hope the new ferry will be operational by mid-2027, replacing the MV Cape Henlopen.
The Cape Henlopen is the newest member of the fleet, built in 1981, but it uses the oldest engines of the group. Gehrke said, “This particular ferry has engines that are from World War 2 vintage. They weren’t put onboard during World War 2, but they’re of that vintage…The other two ferries are actually older ferries, but they have new tier 3 diesel engines, so they’re much cleaner than the diesels on this ferry, and also recently rebuilt. So they should be in operation for decades,” he continued, adding, “The new ferry is going to have a diesel hybrid electric engine, which means clean diesel, which is much cleaner than what we’re offering today, saving anywhere from 20% to 90% in emissions depending on the pollutant we’re talking about.”
Senator Chris Coons waspart of the Delaware Delegation that helped bring home the funding. He said investing in the ferry system makes sense on every level: “It connects southern New Jersey with southern Delaware. It helps people move back and forth between two of the most desirable tourist destinations in the whole East Coast. It helps connect families and communities. It supports thousands of jobs between Delaware and New Jersey.”
Gehrke feels like the new eco-friendly ferry will have them pointing in the right direction long after it comes online. “It’s very exciting. You know, it’s historic, so it feels good to be part of something that will hopefully set the tone for the future of the ferry fleet for decades to come,” he said.
Officials said they started designing and planning for the new ferry back in 2020, and hope to start construction by mid-2025.
The total cost of construction for the vessel is estimated to be around $74 million.
