By Rita Shirley LeBleu

The new ferry has arrived. The Holly Beach made her way from Lockport Monday, Sept. 14. The vessel will be placed into operation once the training and certification process is complete, according to Seth Woods, District Engineer Administrator, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.

“We currently estimate that the process will take approximately four weeks,” Woods said in an email to the Cameron Pilot. “Since this is the first time in some time that we have been able to deliver a new ferry to Cameron, the timeframe could be adjusted as the process moves forward.”

Contracts for the privatization have not yet been signed, he said. Once they are executed, which is expected to occur within the next few weeks, the process of transitioning operations to the third-party vendor will begin.

The private operator is LabMar Ferry Services, according to information shared earlier in the year from the DOTD.

DOTD will continue to own the vessels and property that comprise the Cameron Ferry services. The agreement will be limited to operations and maintenance.

In the fiscal year 2025, the total Operations and Maintenance cost was $3,097,688.

The new vessel will be a few feet shorter to accommodate diesel/electric hybrid technology for efficiency, covered passenger seating and other technological updates, the DOTD told the Pilot earlier in the year. It will carry up to 34 vehicles per trip including large commercial trucks, according to information online from Elliott Bay Design Group.