Madeline Island Ferry Line Looks to Modernize Bayfield Harbor Ramp

BAYFIELD/LAPORTE, Wis. – The ferry line from Bayfield to Madeline Island will be undergoing much needed harbor construction later this year.

The over $1,000,000 project looks to reconstruct the main “A” ramp off of Washington Ave. in Bayfield. The ramp has been connecting the people of La Pointe to mainland Wisconsin for over 50 years. Since then the wood piling had rotted and the water levels of Lake Superior have been fluctuating each year.

The reconstruction looks to replace the old piling with new steel ones and will dredge the lake bedding underneath the harbor another foot and a half to help with lowering lake level.

“A lot of our docks were last re-engineered and redesigned in the 60s,” said Callan Linehan, the director of marine operations at Madeline Island Ferry Line. “Most of that is with 60s traffic numbers and 1960s car weights in mind. And now we’re dealing with significantly higher traffic numbers. We’re dealing with the biggest problem, which is forcing our hand now, is the changing lake levels.”

The project also looks to create a new 55 foot seawall that would support a new ramp for tourists, locals, and commerce to drive onto and off the ferries.

Wis. Gov. Tony Evers allotted $808,000 to the project through a Wisconsin’s Harbor Assistance Program grant. Construction is expected to start and finish this year.