What will be happening and when?
During 2022 construction, the trail from 156th St. SW parking lot trailhead will be closed at the pedestrian bridge crossing near the Ranger residence (appox. 1 mile from trailhead) with no access to the beach.
- There is no pedestrian or public vehicular access from 75th Pl. W (ADA limited Access Road) starting 4/11 through fall 2022.
- County tidelands are closed to the public.
- There are no portable restrooms along trail. The only portable restrooms are located at parking lot trailhead.
- BNSF (railroad) will be driving 96 sections of H-pile from the railroad May 2 through late June.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This project entails removing 128 linear feet of railroad embankment (shoreline armoring) along with the 6-foot wide culvert and installing a 5-span railroad bridge with a 100-foot opening to address ADA accessibility, beach access, fish passage, flooding, sediment delivery and maintenance issues associated with the undersized culvert. This project will restore a historic (pre-railroad) 1.3-acre estuary that will provide essential rearing habitat for ESA-listed Chinook (threatened), Chum, and Coho salmon as well as Cutthroat trout; and restore nearshore processes key to Puget Sound recovery. Additional habitat and stream enhancement will occur upstream of the estuary and a second footbridge will be installed to provide viewing platform of fish migration. Recreation components include a foot-wash, and picnic and bench viewpoints of the beach, estuary and Lund’s Gulch Creek. The existing portable restroom enclosure will be relocated out of the floodway and the ADA-parking will be brought up to current standards.
STATUS — 2021 Construction
Activities that occurred during 2021 include clearing and grubbing, demolition, tree salvage, road reinforcement, erosion and sediment control, excavation for pedestrian bridge abutments, north trail rockery and surfacing, and the following key milestones:
- 364 spiral nails and spider hubs installed to reinforce the ADA access road
- Fill, including debris in excess of 10,000 yds excavated and removed off-site
- Estuary substrates and starter channel installed
- Nine of twelve snags for habitat installed
- 21 pieces of large wood were installed within the creek and additional pieces placed within the estuary
- BNSF procured H-piles and bridge components for 2022 install
- 2022 Construction Activities
- Constructing temporary embankments for railroad crossing and railroad bridge construction
- Removal of 128-feet of railroad embankment and 6-foot wide culvert and install two railroad bridge sections
- Beach grading
- Installing utilities including storm, electrical, water and irrigation
- Finalizing estuary grading and removal of debris and fill materials, fabric, topsoils and planting installation
- Installing benches, picnic tables, portable restroom enclosure
- Upgrading picnic shelter
- Installing interpretive signage
City of Edmonds Haul Route Update (see Haul Route Map link below)
The Contractor will be hauling equipment and materials into (import) and from (export) the site along the haul route (map attached below). Periods of more extensive haul (dump trucks) will occur mid-May (2-3 weeks) and then from mid to late July through September.
Schedule Update
The project completion date has been revised from spring 2022 to fall 2022 due to unanticipated events. BNSF notified the county in late August 2021 that fires in California destroyed two BNSF bridges and one tunnel requiring reallocation of BNSF resources (equipment and staff) which resulted in installation of the bridges delayed until 2022. Because removal of the embankment and culvert is partially within marine and freshwater, those tasks cannot commence until the 2022 fish window which begins July 15th. The anticipated fall 2022 completion date is not only fish window dependent but weather dependent and dependent on BNSF Operations and Structures division’s availability.
Thank you for your patience as we try and complete this amazing restoration project in 2022!