The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced the award of a $3.9 million Passenger Ferry Grant to the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA).

The grant funding will go toward the next phase of upgrades to the St. Johns River Ferry, including $5.6 million worth of work to bulkheads, catwalks, warehousing, mooring bollards, and other improvements to both the Mayport Village and Fort George Island facilities.

The grant will account for roughly 70% of the estimated $5.6 million project cost and represents Phase IV of our ongoing upgrade plan for the Ferry system. Work is scheduled to begin in Spring 2020.

The JTA completed Phase III in January, which includes upgrades to the vessel, as well as operational and other safety improvements like rehabilitated bulkheads, new terminal bridges, and stopping mechanisms.

The Jean Ribault is a car and passenger ferry that connects the north and south ends of Florida State Road A1A, linking Mayport Village and Fort George Island via a 0.9-mile voyage across the St. Johns River, 2.5 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean.