Governor Ned Lamont announced that the Connecticut Department of Transportation is receiving $6.4 million from the Federal Transit Administration to replace the vessel used on the Chester-Hadlyme Ferry crossing, matched by an additional $1.6 million in state funding, according to the governor's office.
The funding will replace the MV Selden III, a 76-year-old vessel that has carried passengers across the Connecticut River between Chester and Hadlyme since 1950. The crossing dates to 1769, when it was established as Warner's Ferry, and is a designated Connecticut State Historic Landmark.
"This federal award, combined with our state funding, is going to ensure that this historic ferry can continue operating for many more years to come," Lamont said.
The new vessel will use diesel hybrid propulsion to improve reliability and efficiency while reducing fuel consumption and emissions, and it will maintain full ADA accessibility, the state said.
The Chester-Hadlyme Ferry carried more than 60,600 passengers and 27,900 vehicles in 2025, and has already carried more than 34,600 passengers and 15,800 vehicles so far in 2026, according to CTDOT.
The grant is part of roughly $665 million in competitive federal funding the Federal Transit Administration is distributing to modernize ferry infrastructure nationwide, covering 23 projects in 14 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
CTDOT also operates the Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry, established in 1655, which is the oldest continuously operating ferry crossing in the United States.