Staffing problems are about to lead to service cuts for the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry, and VDOT is advising people to expect potential delays.
The Jamestown-Scotland Ferry carries vehicles, including tractor-trailers, across the James River between James City and Surry counties. The trip across the river takes about 20 minutes.
There are four boats in the ferry fleet. Two can carry 70 cars and two boats can carry 50 cars. Typically, the ferry operates 24/7 all 365 days of the year.
VDOT announced service reductions are coming. The department said its aiming to maintain 24-hour service “for as long as possible.” But VDOT appears unable to commit to running as many boats.
Starting Monday, July 8, VDOT said at least one ferry will keep running 24/7. Then, a second boat will be put into service between 2 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. each day.
This means, when only one boat is running, if a vehicle is on the same side of the river as the boat but cannot board because the driver missed the boat or because the ferry is full, that vehicle will need to wait a minimum of 40 minutes for the ferry to cross and return. And that doesn’t count loading and unloading time.
VDOT is encouraging people to use 511 to keep abreast of the conditions.
Alternate routes drivers can take include the James River Bridge (Route 17), the Benjamin Harrison Bridge (Route 156), and the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel (I-664).
VDOT said they are dedicated to returning to full-service operations as soon as resources allow.
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