10:49 AM: Even if you don’t use Washington State Ferries, if you’re within view of the Fauntleroy dock, you might be wondering about that crane. It’s there for maintenance work that is scheduled to continue through Friday. WSF says the work “will require single-lane loading/unloading” 7:30 am-4:30 pm each day. We have a message out seeking more details on the work that’s being done.

1:12 PM: In response to our inquiry, WSF’s Hadley Rodero explains the work:

The work at the Fauntleroy terminal is preservation work to replace three steel H-piles near the terminal building. The piles were identified as needing replacement during a routine inspection, and replacing them allows WSF to avoid weight restrictions or other operational impacts in the future. All of this is to be expected for a terminal built in the 1950s.

The crane will be onsite until Friday to install the new piles and then crews will be doing welding and other work under the dock. We’re working to complete the installation before restrictions on in-water work begin on Feb. 15 to protect migratory salmon. We will be loading and unloading ferry traffic in a single lane during work hours for the rest of this week. Work hours will be 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (there won’t be any night work). Neighbors may hear some noise as the contractor vibrates in the new piles – each of the three piles takes about 15 minutes of vibratory pile driving.