Travellers heading to and from Vancouver Island via ferry later this month will find a weekend where things are not operating as usual. BC Ferries announced Jan. 7 the Duke Point terminal in Nanaimo will be closed for two full days, with service to and from Tsawwassen re-routed to Departure Bay.
Duke Point ferry terminal (BC Ferries)
The closure at Duke Point will happen Sat. Jan. 26 and Sun. Jan. 27, 2019, in order to have a ramp replaced.
It's been awhile since work was done on this particular ramp, says BC Ferries--basically forever. "The vehicle ramp and apron at Duke Point have been in place since the terminal opened in 1997 and now need to be replaced," says BC Ferries in a media release.
To make a swift swap out, the contractor will use a barge and crane to remove the old apron and place a new, prefabricated one.
Passengers will be sailing to the mainland out of Departure Bay instead for that weekend, and, take note, the times will be different from the Duke Point-Tsawwassen regular schedule. There will be six arrivals and departures on each of these days. You can view the Jan. 26-27 schedule online.
BC Ferries says they chose this particular weekend because the dates are traditionally some of the least busy travel days of the entire year.
