The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has signed off on a roughly $30 million construction deal with Astoria-based Big River Construction to shore up the North Jetty at the entrance to Grays Harbor near Ocean Shores. The century-old boulder berm has taken a beating from winter storms and wave overtopping, leaving sections narrowed along the crest. Local officials say getting the jetty back in shape is essential to keeping the Port of Grays Harbor’s navigation channel open for deep-draft vessels and the jobs that come with them.
In a March 5 announcement, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Seattle District said the repair work will run from the jetty head to the tail (Sta. 85+00 to 160+00). The agency framed the project as a way to keep the federal navigation channel reliable for commercial traffic.
What the work will involve
The contract calls for crews to replace displaced armor stone in the hardest-hit stretches and rebuild parts of the jetty crest using land-based heavy equipment working along the top of the structure, according to Engineering News-Record. The trade outlet also notes the job was bid as a small-business set-aside, with construction teams expected to work from shore in the most damaged areas.
How the stone will get to town
Project images from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers include a haul-route map that sends truckloads of quarry rock down Ocean Shores Boulevard to reach the work zones. The agency has also identified staging areas and defined the limits of construction activity.
Local coverage reports that the Corps will pick up the tab for any pavement or right-of-way repairs chewed up by the heavy truck traffic, and The Daily World notes the agency has formally agreed to pay for such damage.
Local reaction and coastal closures
Port of Grays Harbor Executive Director Leonard Barnes welcomed the contract award, stressing that regional commerce leans heavily on dependable access to the harbor. The Corps’ announcement, as relayed by The Daily World, described the jetty repair as “a vital investment in the economic health of the community.”
Ocean Shores City Administrator Scott Andersen told the paper the city will hold internal planning meetings and then a public town hall once Big River Construction receives a formal notice to proceed, giving residents a chance to hear details on staging areas, traffic impacts and the construction schedule.
Contracts, funding and a tangle of numbers
The Corps’ public statement rounded the deal to “about $30 million,” but public contracting data show a more complicated picture. A bid abstract cited in federal procurement records lists an apparent low bid of roughly $50.66 million, according to the Sweetspot/SAM bid abstract. Separate award records indicate a firm-fixed-price obligation of about $29.6 million tied to the construction contract and list an estimated completion date of Nov. 1, 2029, as summarized by EnvZone.
Taken together, coverage from Engineering News-Record, the Sweetspot/SAM bid abstract and EnvZone lays out the different price figures tied to the award and the Nov. 1, 2029 target for finishing the work.
What comes next for residents
Before any heavy hauling starts, the contractor must receive an official notice to proceed. After that, the Corps, the Port and the city plan to coordinate public outreach and traffic-control measures. City leaders say they will try to stage the work to keep disruptions manageable, but residents should be ready for increased truck traffic on Ocean Shores Boulevard while stone is delivered to the jetty.
Construction is expected to stretch across multiple building seasons as crews rebuild sections of the jetty profile and work to keep the navigation channel secure for harbor traffic.
