Ferry facility receives $1.6M grant for repairs

SWANS ISLAND – The local ferry terminal is expected to get a $1.6 million face-lift, thanks to a grant from the Federal Highway Administration, according to officials.

In a prepared statement released Monday, U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, indicated the grant will be used to reconstruct the ferry terminal on the island, which is used by island residents, visitors and their vehicles as they travel back and forth to Bass Harbor on Mount Desert Island. The total amount of the grant is $1,608,874.

The reconstructed terminal is expected to be handicapped-accessible and to have additional parking and an updated security plan, among other improvements, according to the statement.