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Coho ferry takes 2-month break for refit, dock work

The MV Coho ferry, which runs daily between Victoria and Port Angeles, Washington, will be out of service for about two months. The break is to allow for the construction of a new wharf at the Belleville Street terminal in Victoria’s Inner Harbour.
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The MV Coho ferry passes the Ogden Point Breakwater lighthouse on Friday en route to the wharves in Victoria's Inner Harbour.

The MV Coho ferry, which runs daily between Victoria and Port Angeles, Washington, will be out of service for about two months.

The break is to allow for the construction of a new wharf at the Belleville Street terminal in Victoria’s Inner Harbour.

The service will return to regular sailings on Feb. 29.

During construction, the Black Ball Ferry Line’s vessel will also have its annual refit. The Coho’s last sailing from Port Angeles is Sunday, departing at 2 p.m. The last sailing from Victoria follows at 4 p.m., Black Ball said.

Regular service resumes

Feb. 29 when the Coho departs Port Angeles at 8:20 a.m. and Victoria at 10:30 a.m.

“We are enhancing the travel experience for our customers with these upgrades,” said Ryan Burles, president of Black Ball.

More than 400,000 passengers and 127,000 vehicles travel each year on the Coho between Victoria and Port Angeles, the company.

Construction at the terminal is the first of three stages in what is hoped to be a transformation of the facility. Costs of the $17.4-million initial phase are being split between the province, Black Ball, and Clipper Navigation Ltd.

Timber piles at the wharf are being replaced with steel pipes and a precast concrete deck. There will also be upgrades to the terminal parking area. In Port Angeles, Black Ball is completing upgrades to the mooring dolphins.

A second stage to improve vehicle access will cost $3 million. A final phase for a new terminal could cost up to $40 million and is waiting for a funding agreement.