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Bolivar Galveston Ferry Ready By November? 1321 Views :: 6 Comments :: :: Local News Bolivar Galveston Ferry Ready By November? The Bolivar Galveston Ferry could reopen to the public as early as November 2008. The state transportation department has awarded a $4.85 million contract to dredge the landings back to a safe operating depth. But Weeks Marine Inc., the New Jersey-based company given the contract, is not expected to begin the project until the end of this month. The dredging itself will take at least another week. "That's the best-case" -  William P. Mallini, Texas Department of Transportation Galveston Ferry Operations Manager Galveston County Commissioner Pat Doyle said the ferry will play a key role in rebuilding. "I would hope that they could get the dredge company there sooner," Doyle said by telephone Thursday. "They are working as hard as they can. They realize we're in dire need here and that we need that ferry to get back to regular commerce." The ferry is essential to recovery, reducing travel time from 2 hours to less than an hour - for needed equipment and supplies. The U.S. Coast Guard ordered the ferry shut down Sept. 11th, two days before Ike's landfall, as weather conditions worsened. Five days later, one of the system's four boats began ferrying emergency vehicles, but it has remained closed to the public. Texas 87, which stretches across the peninsula from the ferry landing to High Island, is limited to one-way traffic at Rollover Pass, where the bridge partially collapsed during the storm. Doyle said the bridge should be repaired by late November but noted that access to the peninsula could increase be-fore then, depending on other infrastructure improvements.