MADISON, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) - The Merrimac ferry, also known as the COLSAC III, is open for the 2019 season, according to Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

The ferry shuttles Highway 113 traffic between Okee in Columbia County and Merrimac in Sauk County across the Wisconsin River 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In 2018, the ferry made 46,613 trips carrying 239,783 vehicles across the river, according to the release. The ferry holds 15 vehicles at a time as well as bicycles and pedestrians. It takes about seven minutes for a single crossing.

The ferry season will last as long as the river is ice free.