The three new 64-car, 750 passenger ferries constructed
by a subsidiary of Pacific Northwest-based Vigor Industrial have won the
regional “Under Budget, Large Project” category in the America’s Transportation
Awards competition.
“It’s important that we make the absolute most of our
transportation dollars, and Vigor’s ability to deliver three new ferries under
budget and on time, in just 34 months, saved the state nearly $7 million,”
state Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, chair of the Washington Senate Transportation
Committee, said.
The vessels were built by US Fab, Vigor’s industrial and
new-build branch. The award was presented to the Washington State Department of
Transportation July 9. WSDOT is now entered into a competition for one of two
national awards that carry $10,000 in prizes.
“US Fab is extremely honored to have been a part of this
award winning effort and proud to have played a role in sustained job creation
in the shipbuilding industry in our region,” company Vice President Chris
Morgan said.
The America’s Transportation Awards competition,
sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials, AAA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, recognizes the very best of
America’s transportation projects in three main categories: Ahead of Schedule,
Under Budget, and Best Use of Innovation.
“The construction of the Kwa-di Tabil class ferries
demonstrates what can be accomplished with great partnerships. US Fab’s
in-house engineering staff and its subcontractors collaborated closely with an
exceptional team at Washington State Ferries expediting production throughout
the entire process,” US Fab’s engineering director, Kevin Hein, said. “This was
particularly important as the project moved from an existing design to a
detailed production design.”
