One of a fleet of eight ferries that transports cars between Port Aransas and Aransas Pass on Hwy 361. Staff Photo
Southwest Shipyard in Houston will begin building a new 28-vehicle ferry this fall for Port Aransas. Slated to be named the Amadeo Saenz, the ferry will replace one of the six 20-vehicle ferries in the eight-ferry fleet. The other two are also 28-vehicle ferries.
Ferries are named for former executive directors of the Texas Department of Transportation. Saenz served TxDOT from 2007-2011.
The newest addition to the fleet will replace the oldest as the highway department works toward eventually replacing all the smaller vessels with 28-vehicle capacity boats.
The Saenz will cost almost $9 million to build and will be almost identical to the other two larger ferries. Below deck will sport some updated design improvements, however, TxDot said in a press release.
“The new ferries are necessary to help us keep up with increased traffic demands,” said Howard Gillespie, manager of TxDOT’s Port Aransas ferry operations. “And at the same time [the department will] replace the older, less-efficient, 20-car ferries that cost more to maintain as they age.”
The highway department’s ferry fleet connects Port Aransas on Mustang Island with Aransas Pass on the mainland via State Hwy 361. On low traffic days, it usually takes about 15 minutes to board, cross and depart. Crossing the quarter mile from one side of the Corpus Christi Channel to the other can sometimes take 30 minutes to an hour or more with weekend or holiday traffic.
The ferry is free and available 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
