If you’ve taken a ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island or Bremerton in the past six years, you may have experienced the flurry of construction enveloping Colman Dock as Washington State Ferries maintained service on its busiest routes during a major facilities upgrade. On August 3, this flagship terminal finally reopened fully to the public, providing a number of improvements for a more seamless travel experience.
From a new entry building and elevated walkway to elevators and stairs that connect directly to Alaskan Way, riders can now enjoy gorgeous views of the waterfront and city skyline during their commute. With the addition of amenities such as new ticket and info booths and over 20,000 square feet of public area complete with benches to view the scenery, the result was certainly well worth the wait.
Underneath the shiny new exterior of Colman Dock lies ever-important infrastructure that has also received a refresh and renovation. As part of the WSP team, Osborn Consulting served as the stormwater drainage lead on this monumental project. Our team members led the stormwater best management practices options analysis, final plans, specifications, and estimates, and design calculations for the stormwater design to provide the required water quality treatment for the vehicle holding and travel lanes on the dock prior to discharge to the Puget Sound.
Extensive planning and coordination with both WSDOT and WSF was required to mitigate the risks associated with designing stormwater and water quality systems under terminal decking where structural issues could affect access for maintenance personnel. The Osborn Consulting team designed the stormwater treatment system by incorporating a new landscaping planter and stormwater conveyance piping designed to collect water under the dock via a complex system involving a pump station. We also provided construction design support to the General Contractor/Construction Manager. With this phase of the makeover complete, passengers and locals alike can look forward to the completion of continuing construction near the dock such as work on a new pedestrian bridge and vehicle loading area where cars will be able to board directly from Alaskan Way. We are deeply honored to have been able to contribute our expertise to this large-scale expansion of Washington’s busiest ferry terminal.
