WINDSOR – The Sans Souci ferry, one of only three remaining inland cable ferries in North Carolina, will return to service on Saturday, Aug. 22.
The ferry, which crosses the Cashie River in rural Bertie County, suspended service in June due to COVID 19-related budget issues. N.C. Department of Transportation employees will be temporarily staffing the San Souci ferry until a contract to operate it can be awarded to a private contractor within the next few weeks.
“We are extremely pleased to be returning the Sans Souci ferry to service," said NCDOT Division One Engineer Sterling Baker. “We know it's very important to the people of Bertie County, both as a form of transportation and a part of local history."
Unlike the larger boats of the state's coastal ferry system, cable ferries carry a maximum of two vehicles and are guided across a river by cables connected to both shores. NCDOT has operated the ferry since the 1930s, but versions of the ferry have been around on the Cashie River since the 1800s.