Connecticut River Ferries Resume Operations
The Connecticut Department of Transportation today announced the resumption of service by the two ferry services across the Connecticut River, between Rocky Hill and Glastonbury and Chester and Hadlyme, beginning Saturday, June 20, 2020.
Typically, the ferries begin operating April 1, but that was delayed as a result of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.
The Chester-Hadlyme ferry will operate between 7 a.m. and 6:45 p.m. Monday-Friday, and between 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry will operate Tuesday-Friday between 7 a.m. and 6-45 p.m. on weekdays, and 10:30 to 5 p.m. on weekends. Both ferries will operate through Labor Day, September 7.
“We are pleased to get this popular service up and running again, and I appreciate the public’s patience and understanding during challenging times,” said CTDOT Commissioner Joseph Giulietti. “We are taking all precautions, requiring masks and social distancing for passengers and our crews alike. The ferries will be sanitized on a daily basis.”
“I’m thrilled we will be able to continue to operate the Rocky Hill – Glastonbury Ferry safely despite the turmoil of the pandemic,” said state Sen. Matthew Lesser of Middletown, who represents the 9th District in the State Senate. “I’m grateful we’ve been able to have the support of the DOT for our historic ferry.”
"We all have had a difficult spring dealing with loss within our community and beyond,” said Rep. Kerry Wood of Rocky Hill, who represents the 29th District in the House. “The announcement of the Cumberland tugging the ferry again is a welcomed sign of hope. I'm thrilled the DOT heard the call of making this re-opening a priority."
“The Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry has the honorable distinction of being the nation’s longest continuously running ferry,” said Edward Chiucarello, President of the Rocky Hill Historical Society. “It’s great to see the tradition continue.”
The Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry is the oldest continuously operated ferry service in the country, having started service in 1655.