The province is helping to renovate the Bar Harbor ferry terminal to accommodate the Nova Scotia-Maine ferry service. The expected cost is $8.5 million.

“The Nova Scotia-Maine ferry is a vital part of our transportation system and important to our tourism industry, particularly in southwest Nova Scotia,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Minister Lloyd Hines. “We are confident the relocation to Bar Harbor will provide greater stability for the service and provide cost savings that will reduce the subsidy in the long term.”

Work on the ferry terminal includes a fixed span and pier, deck and pile repairs, as well as moving the transfer bridge from the Portland terminal and reassembling it in Bar Harbor.

It also includes the demolition of some outer buildings, construction of customs plaza facilities and reinstallation of security equipment moved from Portland. Renovations to the existing terminal provide retail space for Bay Ferries, public space for customers and update customs facilities.

The renovation costs will be included in the province’s 2018-19 spending.

The work is currently underway with an anticipated launch of the new Bar Harbor-Yarmouth route at the end of June.

The province is budgeting $13.8 million to operate the Nova Scotia-Maine service in 2019-20.

For more information on the ferry service, visit https://www.ferries.ca/