NORFOLK, Va. — The Elizabeth River Ferry, that runs between the Waterside District in Norfolk and Olde Town in Portsmouth, has a history that dates back some 200 years and it's been operating in its current format since the 80s.
The past month, however, riders have noticed something a little different: the route.
The ferry is operating on an adjusted route due to damage at Norfolk's Waterside dock.
Outer Banks
Ferry connecting Inner & Outer Banks launches this summer
News 3 caught up with riders Friday — first to find out why they opted to take the ferry in the first place.
Some said they liked the history and the boat's iconic paddle wheel. Some said they were on board to get to somewhere special.
"I want to go to the festival," said Carmyn Brathwaite, a young ferry-goer from Portsmouth.
And others liked the scenery.
"Oh, I love the ferry," said Colette Streeks-Davis of Smithfield. "I love being on the water."
It was memorable for first-time ferry-goers too.
"I think it's crazy," said Camryn Brathwaite, a young first-time rider from Portsmouth. "I'm out on the water right now."
Watch related story: New ferry connecting Inner & Outer Banks launches this summer
"The ferry does provide an essential service between downtown Norfolk and Portsmouth," said Thomas Becher, communications manager with Hampton Roads Transit. "We do serve from the early morning commuters, you know, throughout the day. It does get a little busier on the weekends, and it gets busier in the evenings for Tides games. People do like the option to maybe go downtown, go to Waterside and other venues, and come back here and not worry about driving and crossing tunnels and bridges."
Riders also told News 3 they were surprised to find the trip looking a little different. Former Hampton Roads resident, Ashawnti Jones, walked up to the Waterside ferry stop Friday to discover it was out of commission.
"We caught an Uber from the bus to come here to ride the ferry to Portsmouth, can't even go. We have to walk all the way over here," said Jones as he pointed from Waterside down the Elizabeth River Trail. "That's an inconvenience. I like to see the shipyard. I like going to downtown Portsmouth easy, without getting on the bus."
The walk between the old pickup at Waterside and the current pickup at Harbor Park is roughly 0.8 miles, according to GPS. It took News 3 reporter Erika Craven roughly 10 minutes at a brisk pace.
Portsmouth
'There's a huge need:' HRT's new ferries almost ready for service
Jones grabbed an electric scooter to navigate the trail and others opted for the Tide light rail.
"When we found out, it wasn't a problem," said Eddie Davis of Smithfield. "We took the train, the train over to Waterside and had a good time."
Becher said the closure means the ferry route is condensed for the time being with one stop at High Street in Portsmouth and one stop at Harbor Park in Norfolk.
"Well ridership is down a little bit. I mean, we know it's just a temporary blip, but we want people to be aware the service does exist. It does continue," said Becher. "It may not be exactly the same but it's still every 30 minutes. It'll go to every 15 minutes starting on Memorial Day weekend."
The 15-minute service is for the summer during peak times on weekends.
Inspectors, during a regular five-year inspection in mid-April, found damage to piles on the city-owned dock.
Watch related story: 'There's a huge need:' HRT's new ferries almost ready for service
"We were concerned about safety so we closed the dock off," explained Tammy Halstead, a civil engineer with Norfolk's Public Works. "To have a full section lost is surprising, but it's just natural wear and tear. The piles are timber and in the splash-zone where the tide raises and lowers there's more deterioration because of the oxygen that helps speed up the deterioration."
An initial fix will cost the city $175,000. That will likely allow the Waterside dock ferry ramp to reopen by the end of May.
Halstead said they'll still need to do additional work after the initial fix. Those repairs still need design work and permitting before construction begins.
"I commend the city of Norfolk for addressing this so that we can get our regular service back as quickly as possible for the summer season," added Becher.
More information on the ferry can be found here.
