Inland Ro-Ro Cable Ferry Design and Construction

Manitoba I

ExpertiseNaval Architecture, Project Management & Marine Services, Ship Design

Northern Airport and Marine Operations operate three cable ferries that provide vital connections for First Nation communities in northern Manitoba. When one vessel requires maintenance, communities can be left without service. After evaluating the feasibility of a temporary modular barge, our client chose a permanent solution—a new modular ferry that could be transported by road and assembled at multiple sites as needed.

Challenge

Due to scheduled maintenance on one of the ferries, it was critical to have the ferry built, approved and operational by summer 2025.

The ferry needed to be road transportable in sections and allow for easy assembly in remote areas.

The design had to suit operations in multiple locations and accommodate two different shoreside cable configurations.

Multiple construction sites and contractors required close coordination.

Solution

At the start of the concept, Allswater worked closely with the operator to validate the idea and developed the concept design along with outline specifications. Upon selection of fabrication sites and vendors, Allswater was retained to work alongside the operator to oversee the overall design process along with construction support and inspections. This work included detailed design, finite element analysis on highly loaded components, weight management, stability assessment, along with technical advice & project management.  