Steamship Authority general manager Robert Davis acknowledged this week that some construction work is taking place this summer outside the Woods Hole terminal building, and not only within the structure’s walls.

At Tuesday’s board meeting in Oak Bluffs, ferry line board member Peter Jeffrey of Falmouth and chair James Malkin of Martha’s Vineyard asked for clearer communication from the general manager, saying he had told them previously that all of the summer work would be contained within the building. 

The roof is being completed and copper cladding is being added on the utility building, according to Mr. Davis. Windows also have been installed and some utility trench work remains to be completed. 

Having passed the previous message about only interior work on to the public, Mr. Malkin said he felt the Steamship Authority’s credibility is undermined when travelers see heavy equipment and exterior construction in progress.

“It’s a confusing and conflicting message,” he told Mr. Davis, who accepted responsibility for the confusion.

“That falls on me because when I’m talking about interior work, I’m talking interior to the work zone,” Mr. Davis said, referring to the cordoned-off area around the building site.

Construction activities outside that zone are strictly prohibited over the summer, said architect Lian Davis of BIA Studio, the Boston firm that designed the entire terminal reconstruction project.

The architect also presented a summary of the terminal project dating back to 2013, when preliminary work began. The presentation included various different building designs that were reviewed by the public over the next several years, before the board made its final choice in 2019.

Swayed by Falmouth residents’ concerns over losing views of Woods Hole passage from the Crane street bridge overlooking the terminal, the board opted to drop plans for a multi-story terminal building.

Instead, board members selected a single-story ticket building with a nearby utility building to hold its mechanical systems, which would have gone on an upper floor.

Early in 2024, the board approved a $32 million contract with Colantonio, Inc. of Holliston to build both new buildings. 

Construction got underway last fall, and Mr. Davis, the general manager, said Tuesday the project should be substantially completed by next May.

Among other business Tuesday, the board of governors heard an update on Woods Hole terminal traffic from Mr. Davis and director of shoreside operations Alison Fletcher.

For pedestrian safety, Ms. Fletcher said, crosswalks have been repainted and additional crosswalks added. 

New wayfinding signs have been installed to guide passengers through the terminal, Mr. Davis said.

The vehicle check-in booths also are being repositioned to allow buses to maneuver past the car lines, Ms. Fletcher said, although one booth is awaiting exterminator treatment for a suspected wasp problem before it can be moved.

Buses have been limited to one coach per company on terminal property at any time, she said, and Peter Pan Bus Lines now has an on-site dispatcher to communicate with drivers. 

The terminal is drawing traffic detail officers from three law enforcement agencies, the state police, environmental police and Falmouth police, Mr. Davis said.

The Steamship Authority also is emailing timed arrival instructions to drivers with reservations, cautioning them not to come to Woods Hole ahead of their boarding times, he said. Additionally, Mr. Davis and Ms. Fletcher said, two lighted road signs in Falmouth have been changed to warn motorists that no parking is available in Woods Hole.

Also Tuesday, the board of governors held an executive session to discuss Mr. Davis’s employment contract, returning to public session without having come to a conclusion.

“That discussion was extensive and vigorous, and we are going to continue it,” Mr. Malkin said.

Tuesday’s meeting was one of two regular meetings a year the Steamship Authority board of governors holds on the Vineyard. The next visit is scheduled for Oct. 21 at the Tisbury emergency services facility in Vineyard Haven.