CATHLAMET — Wahkiakum County commissioners on Tuesday turned down a proposal that could have saved the county $250,000 but would have idled the Puget Island ferry for 10 weeks.

The contractor hired to build the new Puget Island ferry landing suggested the county could trim the $1.87 million cost by shutting down ferry operations this winter. A ferry shutdown would eliminate the need to build a temporary landing.

Tuesday though, officials said halting ferry service for an extended period would leave the county vulnerable if mudslides blocked highways leading to Longview and Astoria. They also noted a shutdown would inconvenience residents who commute across the river to work at Georgia-Pacific’s paper mill at Wauna, in Clatsop County.

“The inconvenience to the public is too much,” Commissioner Dan Cothren said. “We don’t know what storms are going to hit or what’s going to happen to the road. It’s the worst time of the year to not have a ferry.”

About 50 Wahkiakum County residents work at the Wauna mill, according to Georgia-Pacific spokeswoman Kristi Ward. Many other Wahkiakum County residents commute to Longview and would rely on the ferry should a slide block State Route 4, forcing them to use Highway 30 in Oregon, said Commissioner Lisa Marsyla.

Bergerson Construction plans to begin work on the new ferry landing Nov. 2 and expects to complete the project in late February.

The county has been looking for ways to cut costs on the project since bids came in higher than expected in July, said Public Works Director Pete Ringen. Federal and state funds cover much of the project, but the higher costs have forced the financially-strapped county to come up with $230,000. The county likely will dip into a county reserve fund to cover those costs, Ringen said.

County commissioners approved several smaller cost-saving measures suggested by Bergerson that could end up trimming the project’s price tag by between $60,000 and $80,000.

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