Birch Bay Drive & Pedestrian Facility Project

Artist rendering of completed project

Rendering of Path Type I on Berm
Rendering of Path Type II Adjacent to Paving

  1. Birch Bay Drive Construction Update for the Week of Jan. 18

    Drivers can expect periodic single-lane closures from 7am - 5 pm as Granite Construction imports gravel west of Birch Bay Drive, places limestone along the pedestrian path, and installs swales. Concrete curb and sidewalk will also be poured.

  2. Birch Bay Berm Performs Well During Jan. 13 Storm

    The Berm - Also known as the Birch Bay Drive and Pedestrian Facility Project - performed as expected during the Jan. 13 storm. Here's what our engineers had to say after evaluating the berm post-storm. Read on...

  3. Birch Bay Drive update for the week of Jan. 11

    Granite Construction will work from 7am-5pm Monday-Friday placing gravel west of the road, pouring concrete sidewalk, and preparing the limestone path. Drivers should expect periodic single lane closures. Please stay away from construction areas.
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Project Summary

This project will restore the natural shoreline, protect the roadway from storm damage, and support pedestrian safety with a separated berm that runs from the mouth of Terrell Creek (Lora Lane) to Cedar Avenue approximately 1.58 miles in length along the beach. The project will be constructed over two seasons concluding in April 2021.

Project Details:

Status: Construction began December 9, 2019 and will continue through March 2020 for this first project season. The project will resume in August 2020.

  • Contract Awarded: Yes
  • Contract Amount: $8,724,841.00
  • Contractor: Granite Construction, Inc.

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  1. Project Description
  2.            News Flash          

Soft Shore Protection

Construction contract is planned to be awarded November 2019 with major elements of the project's 1st phase (soft shore protection) includes the following:
Project Limits: Lora Lane to Cedar Avenue, 1.58 miles
Remove the rip rap, sea walls, groins, and bulkheads along Birch Bay Drive and replace them with a "natural" soft shore beach; reestablishing the beach profile and improving flood protection for the roadway and adjacent structures; this will improve habitat functions and the currently disrupted natural littoral drift of the beach.
Replace and retrofit substandard stormwater facilities and out falls to improve water quality for this significant shellfish area.
Provide beach access and a pedestrian facility as a portion of the Coast Millennium Trail.
Project construction will be over two seasons; September 2017 - May 2018 and September 2018 - May 2019. These work windows were established to avoid construction during the summer high tourism season at Birch Bay and in-water work windows established by environmental permits.



Other Project Information