PORT TOWNSEND — It took 15 gold square point shovels to scoop up and toss the ceremonial sand at the groundbreaking to celebrate the start of the Point Hudson jetty construction project.
It will take the next six months of 10-hour days and six-day workweeks to finish demolition and rebuilding of the north jetty by March 2023.
The process will start over again in September 2023, when the south jetty will undergo the same treatment in order to be completed by March 2024.
City of Port Townsend, Jefferson County and Port of Port Townsend officials, a representative from Orion Marine Contractors and others participated in the shovel and sand rite on Wednesday afternoon.
The $15 million project is being financed by a combination of port and state, federal and Port of Port Townsend Industrial Development District levy funding.
The rebuilt jetties constructed out of uncoated steel, a mesh lagging system and new rock are replacing the old deteriorated piles, cables and rock.
The port has long been aware that the two deteriorating jetties built in the mid-1930s would need to be replaced and the cost for the work has only increased over time.
In 2017, the estimated cost of building new jetties was $5 million. In 2019, it crept up to $6.2 million.
Their poor condition was obvious, said Port of Port Townsend Harbormaster Kristian Ferrero.
“You could look right through the jetty rocks and see through the other side,” Ferrero said. “You’re not supposed to be able to do that.”
Point Hudson Marina closed the day after the Wooden Boat Festival ended on Sunday and will not reopen until construction of the north jetty is finished.
The port set aside some space at its Boat Haven Marina, Ferrero said, to accommodate the 50 or so vessels displaced by the closure.
The marina will shut down again after next year’s Wooden Boat Festival for the duration of the south jetty demolition and construction.
Once all construction is over, the marina will have the same capacity — 32 slips of various sizes — as before.
About 10 RV spaces on the south side of Point Hudson will not be available during construction, but the rest of the RV park will remain open, as will the Hudson Point Cafe and the Shanghai Chinese Restaurant.
The Point Hudson jetties are not the only breakwaters due for an upgrade.
The jetty at Boat Haven is next on Port Executive Director Eron Berg’s list.
“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers owns the first 1,500 feet of the jetty and they maintain that, and we own about 550 feet at the end and it’s failing,” Berg said.
But the estimated $6 million to $7 million cost of completely replacing the Boat Haven jetty has turned the port to a short-term solution.
“We’ll do a $350,000 repair this winter, and a full replacement will go on the list for funding,” Berg said.
Without Point Hudson Marina, Ferrero will have just two marinas — Port Townsend Boatyard and Boat Haven Marina — to manage for the next six months.
However, he said he did not expect his workload to decrease.
“I’m sure they’ll keep me busy,” Ferrero said. “There’s always something to do.”
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Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached at paula.hunt@soundpublishing.com.
