The Cape May-Lewes Ferry is a summer tradition for some, and for others, is a novel way to visit new beaches. In the next four years, visitors will be able to drive onto a sleek, new diesel-hybrid vessel. The Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) Commission unanimously voted to award a contract for a new 75-car passenger/vehicle ferry for a project low bid of $78.6 million.
The new ferry will be a replacement for the M/V Cape Henlopen, a 40-plus-year-old diesel engine vessel. The current fleet includes the Cape Henlopen, the M/V Delaware, and the M/V New Jersey. They each carry about 100 vehicles and passengers combined over the 17-mile, 80-minute crossing. The New Jersey was recently repowered with its own modern engines.
DRBA says the to-be-built vessel will be eco-friendly, with lower operating and maintenance costs. It will boast decreased emissions at sea and zero emissions while it is docked or near port. And the hybrid engines are expected to reduce total fuel consumption by an estimated 35%.
The Cape May-Lewes Ferry service has been operating since 1964 and, since then, has transported more than 50 million people. Heath Gehrke, Director of Ferry Operations, says that hundreds of thousands use it year-round to get to work, visit family, reach vacation destinations, or avoid the hassle of highway traffic. “The Cape May–Lewes Ferry is a vital transportation link and an economic catalyst for the southern regions of Delaware and New Jersey,” says Gehrke.
A $20 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant will partially pay for the $78.6 million ferry. The contract was awarded to SENESCO Marine LLC of North Kingstown, Rhode Island. Construction is slated to begin in early 2026 and predicted to be completed by summer 2029.
To plan a trip on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry, visit CMLF.com.
