Texas Department of Transportation welcomes new ferry to fleet

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) recently welcomed a new vehicle ferry to its fleet that serves the city of Galveston and the community of Port Bolivar.

The double-ended vessel has been named Esperanza “Hope” Andrade after a local businesswoman who is also the former chair of the Texas Transportation Commission as well as former Texas Secretary of State.

The ferry has a length of 293 feet (89.3 metres), a draught of 18 feet (5.5 metres), and capacity for 495 passengers and either 70 passenger-driven vehicles or eight 18-wheel trailers. The propulsion system includes diesel engines and a Siemens Energy energy storage system with a lithium-ion battery.

The TxDOT will put the new vessel into service after a christening ceremony to complement the peak demand that normally starts with the beginning of the spring break season in the United States.

Esperanza “Hope” Andrade will be able to cover the Galveston-Port Bolivar route in as little as 18 minutes.

Design work on the ferry was undertaken by Houston-based naval architecture firm The Shearer Group.