The Delaware River and Bay Authority awarded a $78.6 million contract to Senesco Marine LLC, North Kingstown, R.I., for the construction and outfitting of a new diesel-hybrid vessel for the authority’s Cape May, N.J. – Lewes, Del. passenger/vehicle ferry fleet.
After completion expected in summer 2029, the new ferry will eventually replace the M/V Cape Henlopen, a diesel vessel that has served more than 40 years on the 17-mile bay crossing.
“For sustainable ferry operations in the future, it's imperative we make this necessary capital investment today,” DRBA Executive Director Joel Coppadge said in announcing the contract award Dec. 2. The ferry service operates year-round, linking the southern New Jersey coast and Delmarva peninsula, and has carried more than 50 million passengers since its start in summer 1964.
Coppadge called the ferry service “a critical piece of regional infrastructure and we're proud of the Ferry's heritage and link between two historic destinations. The new hybrid ferry is the start of the next chapter in the proud history of the Cape May – Lewes Ferry.”
The diesel-hybrid vessel envisioned by the Elliott Bay Design Group, Seattle, will bring benefits of lower operating and maintenance costs, decreased emissions at sea and zero emissions while near port and docked, according to DRBA officials.
In its hybrid and all-electric operating modes, the vessel is estimated to achieve annual emission reductions compared to diesel of 2,025 tons in carbon dioxide, 102.7 tons in nitrogen dioxide, 1.51 tons of fine particulate matter, 1.03 tons of hydrocarbons, and 5 tons of carbon monoxide.
The new engines will also reduce fuel consumption by an estimated 35%.
The ferry’s cost of $78.6 million is being partially funded with a $20 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The DRBA’s board vote to award the contract, which was subject to a 10-day review by the New Jersey and Delaware governors, ten-day review and consent period, took place at the bi-state agency's monthly meeting on November 18, 2025.
With the recent bid award complete, construction on the new vessel is slated to start early next year with a projected completion date of summer 2029.
“The Cape May – Lewes Ferry is a vital transportation link and an economic catalyst for the southern regions of Delaware and New Jersey,” said Heath Gehrke, the DRBA’s director of ferry operations.
“Hundreds of thousands of people rely on our year-round service to get them safely across to work, visit loved ones, get to that vacation destination or to avoid the hassle of highway congestion,” said Gehrke. “By moving forward with our vessel modernization effort, we're ensuring that future generations will continue to enjoy a break from the ordinary aboard the Cape May – Lewes Ferry.”
