Ferry Season Opens Today

The longest continuously operating ferry in the United States will begin another season on Tuesday morning.

On Monday, Connecticut Department of Transportation employees spent the morning preparing and cleaning the . and a portion of Meadow Road were closed during the day.

"We are all set for tomorrow," said DOT Spokesman Kevin Nursick in a phone interview Monday.

The ferry, which dates back to 1655, is open Monday through Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The fees for riding the ferry are:

• $3 for motor vehicle
• $2 for commuter rate (requires pre-purchased commuter coupons)
• $1 for pedestrians and bicyclist

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The DOT is currently in the process of  (one captain and one deck hand), according to Nursick. It is expected to take a few weeks to hire the workers and then they will have to be trained, he added.

Nursick said the "best case" for the staff to be able to work a full schedule (Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. and 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays) would be in June.

Gov. Dannel  and laying off workers to help address the deficit in his budget last year, if the union workers did not agree to his concessions plan. In August .

In August, the grassroots organization called was established to improve the operations of both Connecticut ferries.

The Friends of the CT River Ferries will hold an opening ceremony on Saturday at 10 a.m. The event is being held before the start of the normal hours of operation with the permission of the DOT. Anyone attending the ceremony will be able to take one free ride from Rocky Hill to Glastonbury and back.