The Jewel of San Francisco’s Waterfront, the elegant new San Francisco Ferry Terminal, is about to shine even brighter. Since January of this year, ferryriders from Alameda and Oakland commuting to San Francisco have landed at the first of many new “floats” set to open on the water side of the Ferry Building in coming years.

In engineering terms, “floats” are merely the combination dock/ramps ferryiders use to get from the ferry to shore. But in the bold San Francisco conception, designed by world-renowned waterfront architect Boris Dramov of Roma Design, the floats serve as foundation for a dramatic architectural statement of beautifully lit flying arches. They also protect ferryriders from the rain.

It’ll be several years before all the floats are installed and the overall effect achieved. The project, directly behind and even underneath the landmark Ferry Building at the foot of San Francisco’s Market Street, involves dealing with a welter of environmental, historical preservation and tricky engineering problems. Not to mention funding. But when it’s done, look to the San Francisco Ferry Terminal to join those other visual signatures of San Francisco: the Transamerica Building, Pac Bell Park and Coit Tower.

The next float to go into service is shaping up to the point it looks to be ready for opening soon. Managers of the sorrily vexed project are a bit jumpy about fixing exact dates, but it could be as soon as in April that Vallejo riders will make the change from Pier ½ to the new float.