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S.S. Badger suspends service after ramping system failure

S.S. Badger Carferry
S.S. Badger Carferry
S.S. Badger Carferry
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LUDINGTON, Mich. (AP) — A ferry carrying traffic across Lake Michigan suspended trips indefinitely on Friday after a mechanical failure of its ramping system.

S.S. Badger Carferry
S.S. Badger Carferry pulls into Ludington. Summer 2023.

Lake Michigan Carferry, which owns and operates the S.S. Badger from Ludington, Michigan, to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, said it has “engaged a quick-response team of Great Lakes partners to repair the issue as quickly and safely as possible. They are at work now assessing the situation.”

Ticketed passengers can call 1-800-841-4243 for a refund or to change a reservation.

S.S. Badger Carferry
The S.S. Badger arrives in Ludington. Summer 2023.

Designated a National Historic Landmark, the S.S. Badger was built in 1953 by Christy Corp. in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, for C&O Railway Co.

It once carried rail cars between Ludington and Manitowoc and can now accommodate 600 passengers and 180 vehicles, including RVs, motorcycles, motor coaches and commercial trucks.