The North Carolina Department of Transportation is again operating Elwell Ferry, which crosses the Cape Fear River between the Kelly and Carver's Creek communities in the southeastern part of the county.

The state had contracted out operation of the ferry five years ago, but chose not to renew the contract when it expired on February 28, according to District Engineer Ken Clark.

Clark said the reason for the change was basically twofold-to have more direct control over operation of the ferry and to reduce costs.

"We had had some complaints with the operation of the ferry by the contractor," said Clark. "The biggest problem we were having was that the signs were not being changed when the ferry was closed. As a result people would drive to the ferry only to find it closed.

"The other major complaint we were getting had to do with the appearance around the ferry," Clark explained. "Under the terms of the contract, that wasn't the contractor's responsibility. But with us (NCDOT) being down there now, the operator can help spruce up the area when he is not operating the ferry.

"The other reason was strictly a matter of dollars and cents," said Clark. "We found it was cheaper to operate it ourselves than to contract its operation. And with our budget being very tight this year, we had to let some of our contractors go. It will probably save us about $10,000.

The state contracted operation of the ferry in 2000. Prior to that it had been operated by NCDOT. The reasons, according to DOT officials at the time, that operation of the ferry was contracted were because of a shortage of DOT personnel and because it was the only inland ferry in the state not under contract at that time.

The other two river ferries still operating in the state are in the northeastern corner of the state.

Over the more than 100 years of the ferry's operation, many residents of both Kelly and Carver's Creek have operated it.

The change will not impact the hours of operation of the ferry, Clark said. The ferry is operates from sunrise to sunset in the winter and 12 hours a day in the summertime.

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