Starting today, Pierce County’s ferry loading ramps at Steilacoom, Ketron, and Anderson Island will undergo preservation work. All work will be performed at night after the last scheduled ferry sailing, and ferry service will not be disrupted. Work includes repairs to the hydraulic loading ramps to improve function and extend the service life of the machinery. The project will cost $71,000. Federal Transit Authority stimulus grant money will pay for $44,000 and county ferry budget funds will cover the remaining $27,000. Quigg Brothers of Aberdeen, Wash., will perform the work, which is expected to take approximately seven weeks. This work is the initial expenditure of approximately $1.3 million in federal stimulus funds directed toward maintenance and improvement of the Pierce County ferry system.