The Jamestown-Scotland Vehicle Ferry – which operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – is the largest of three state-operated ferry systems in Virginia and serves as a critical link for the state highway connecting James City County and Surry County. To ensure safe docking, ferry vessels rely on a series of “dolphins” or piles driven into the seabed; structures that require frequent replacement due to wear and tear. The Virginia Department of Transportation project began replacing the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry’s traditional 37-timber-pile dolphin docking clusters with 48-inch diameter fiber-reinforced polymer or FRP piles. Costing $3 million, the new FRP piles are more resilient to impact forces, have a longer life cycle, and are environmentally friendly – and their longer lifespan should ultimately save the state some $10 million over the next 40 years. Once the full replacement of the timber piles is completed, the ferry slips will require virtually no maintenance for decades, ensuring safe and efficient docking for years to come.