The S.S. Badger departs from Manitowoc for the first return to Ludington, Michigan in 2022. (Photo: Casey Nelson WTAQ News)
(WTAQ-WLUK) — The S.S. Badger is full steam ahead as it looks to the 2024 season.
The Lake Michigan Carferry’s 70th season ended abruptly after unexpected damage to its Ludington, Michigan ramp system in July.
The S.S. Badger says it received the final permit required from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to start rebuilding the dock infrastructure necessary to operate its historic and beloved car-and-passenger ferry.
Work could start as soon as this week to begin the process of constructing two new counterweight structures for the carferry’s ramp system.
“We’re very excited to receive the much-anticipated federal and state permits to start construction on the lifting mechanism for the apron here in Ludington,” says Sara Spore, general manager of Lake Michigan Carferry (LMC). “It’s a major step forward in the concerted effort to get the Badger back underway to serve our port communities and carry passengers and transport freight across our marine highway on Lake Michigan.”
The S.S. Badger is the largest cross-lake passenger and car ferry service on the Great Lakes. It ferries passengers, vehicles and freight between Ludington, Michigan and Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
The typical sailing season for the S.S. Badger runs from May to mid-October.
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