The operator of the West Lynn ferry “can’t wait to get back” – and he is hoping people will support the important service once it returns after £100,000 worth of repairs.
Skipper Ben Ellis said the service is coming back “stronger than ever” when it reopens – which a council official says will hopefully be in the “next couple of weeks or so”.
The service, which links West Lynn to the town centre, has been closed since January on safety grounds after problems were discovered with the landing steps on both sides of the River Great Ouse.
Since then, West Norfolk borough and Norfolk county councils have been working together to get the service back on track hoping for a reopening in time for the summer holidays.
Mr Ellis said: “The ferry is coming back stronger than ever. The steps are a lot better. The western steps are all the same size so there’s no more leap-frogging the steps because they are all loose and missing bricks.
“The King’s Lynn side I don’t know at the minute – there’s only so many steps been done – but I should imagine they will be the same as West Lynn, all brand new and ready to go.
“I just can’t wait to get back. I hope every passenger, all the passengers, who have commented saying they will use the ferry, I hope they do use it. I hope everybody comes back and I look forward to seeing everyone.”
On Monday, cabinet members from both councils took a trip across the river to check on the repair work, which has now been completed on the West Lynn side but is still to be finished on the Lynn side.
Cllr Graham Plant, cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport at Norfolk County Council, said the work is ongoing.
He said: “It’s a joint effort between the county council and borough council, we’ve both paid 50-50 for it and it’s one of those things we felt needed to be brought back into service.”
He said he had seen the work completed so far and “there’s still more work to do because it’s a very dangerous area to work in.”
“Having said that, the work is ongoing and hopefully within the next couple of weeks or so, it will be open ready for the public,” he added.
Cllr Michael de Whalley, borough council cabinet member for climate change and biodiversity, said it has been an “extraordinary, challenging task to get the work done within the timescale” as it can only be done at low tide.
He thanked the ferry operators and users for their patience and described the joint effort as an “exemplar” of the two councils working together.
The work includes reinstatement of handrails and a barrier to protect the landing stages at both the Lynn and West Lynn ferry landings.
