Washington State Ferries has slapped new vehicle restrictions on the Orcas Island terminal after a routine inspection turned up cracks in the steel beneath the loading bridge, cutting off the island to anything 22 feet or longer. The restrictions, which also include a 5 mph speed limit and a mandate to use only one side of the bridge during loading and unloading, went into effect this week with no clear end date in sight.
Engineers found the cracks in two steel beams beneath the Orcas Island Ferry Terminal during a recent inspection, according to The Journal of the San Juan Islands, which reported the damage is preventing any vehicles 22 feet or longer from traveling on or off the island. The transfer span, the part of the terminal slip that raises and lowers to meet the ferry so vehicles can drive on and off, is where the compromised steel was discovered, per the Washington State Department of Transportation.
Washington State Ferries, commonly known as WSF, announced the vehicle restrictions at the terminal and said they are needed to maintain safe terminal operations, according to KIRO 7 News Seattle. Only vehicles under 22 feet may load and unload at the Orcas terminal for now, and speeds during loading and unloading are capped at 5 mph. theOrcasonian.com additionally reported that vehicles must weigh less than 8,000 pounds, in addition to the length limit, to be permitted to load or unload, though that specific weight threshold was not confirmed in the other coverage reviewed.
Which Side of the Bridge You Can Use
Vehicles must also stay on the east side of the terminal bridge while loading and unloading, which the Journal of the San Juan Islands described as the left side while loading and the right side while unloading. That detail underscores just how narrow the margin for error has become at the terminal since the cracks were found.
The ripple effects reach beyond Orcas Island itself. Vehicles 22 feet or longer heading to Orcas will not be loaded at Anacortes, Shaw, Lopez, or Friday Harbor, per KIRO 7 News Seattle, and customers with reservations for vehicles 22 feet or longer will not be charged no-show fees under the current rules.
No Repair Timeline Yet
WSF said it did not yet know how long the repair work would take as of Monday. “We don’t yet know how long the work will take, but should have a better idea possibly this evening but more likely tomorrow,” the agency said, per the same account from the Journal of the San Juan Islands. WSF added it will send an update as soon as it has a repair timeline and options for larger vehicles currently stuck on Orcas Island, and KIRO 7 News Seattle reported that update has not yet been provided.
The timing of the repair work is notable given longer-term plans already on the books. A WSDOT project page says the agency intends to replace the major mechanical and electrical systems of the vehicle transfer spans at the Anacortes, Lopez, and Orcas terminals in early 2027, suggesting the aging infrastructure at these island crossings has been on the state's radar for some time.
Groceries Still Getting Through
For island residents worried about empty shelves, one local business offered reassurance. Orcas Island Market said it has scheduled a barge to bring groceries and produce to the island on its normal delivery days of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, according to the Journal of the San Juan Islands. The market's plan to keep deliveries running on schedule was echoed in a separate report from The Islands' Sounder, which confirmed the same Monday-Wednesday-Friday barge schedule for groceries and produce.
For now, islanders and visitors alike are left navigating a terminal running on reduced capacity, with no confirmed word on when full vehicle access will return or what options exist for the larger vehicles already stranded on Orcas Island.
