By Alabama Public Radio
Dauphin Island, AL – The upcoming launch comes months sooner than the last time a storm put the ferry out of commission. It took ten months to restore ferry service after Hurricane Ivan. Hornblower Marine Services will operate the ferry for the state Department of Transportation. The company took over the ferry contract in June, then only got to run the route for two months before Katrina struck on August 29th. All repairs and improvements on the ferry were completed last month and the vessel finished its Coast Guard sea trials Friday. The ferry will charge 25-dollars for a round trip, or 14-dollars per vehicle-and-driver one-way, plus four-bucks for each additional adult. Multiple trip passes that would have expired on January first, 2006 will be honored until March first, 2006.