information from the City of Seattle

The Seattle District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Seattle Parks and Recreation will be holding two virtual public meetings to kick off the project to replace the Emma Schmitz Overlook seawall in West Seattle and discuss the latest project news.

The construction contractor, Bainbridge Island-based Redside Construction, is preparing to begin staging equipment in the coming days, as suppliers have been able to produce key project materials ahead of schedule. It’s anticipated pre-staging will help avoid delays caused by the West Seattle Bridge closure. Redside Construction could start pre-staging equipment and close public access to the park as early as June 22. Construction is still set to begin early-July.

“The good news is the pandemic has not affected the supply chain for the critical construction materials for this project,” said Jeff Dillon, Army Corps project manager. “The unexpected early delivery of the custom piles puts the project in the best position to start and finish on time. Park users and project neighbors will experience some inconvenience earlier than expected, and we appreciate the community’s patience. We look forward to completing a new seawall that will protect the shoreline and underground utilities for years to come.”

In the first week of staging, residents will see the installation of no parking signs and detours as well as fencing around the construction site. Temporary office trailers and steel piles for the seawall construction will also begin to arrive. Additional construction materials and a crane will be delivered by the end of the third week.

The two virtual public meetings will be held on Wednesday, June 17 at 4 p.m. and Wednesday, July 1 at 4 p.m.

TO JOIN ONLINE

(VIEW MEETING MATERIAL, PARTICIPATE THROUGH A CHAT AND JOIN BY PHONE):

Use this link: https://usace.webex.com

Enter the meeting number:

146 580 1139 (for June 17) or 146 002 2703 (for July 1)

Enter your name and email address then select “Join Meeting”

Select ‘Connect to Audio’ (phone icon - the first circle)

Select ‘Call Me’ and enter your phone number to receive a call from the conference system.

If prompted for a security code dial: 1139

 

TO JOIN BY PHONE ONLY (LISTEN TO MEETING):

Call: 1-888-273-3658

Enter Access code: 5721558 followed by #

If requested, enter Security code: 1139 followed by #

 

The Seattle District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded a $3 million contract September 27, 2019 to Redside Construction to replace an existing seawall in West Seattle. The project will replace the existing 500-foot-long seawall at Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook, 4503 Beach Dr. SW, Seattle, WA 98116, that was constructed in the 1920s and has experienced significant erosion and damage from storm events.

The new seawall will be a “soldier pile” (system of vertical piles spaced at a regular interval with material in between to create a wall) design, built a few feet seaward and a few feet higher than the existing seawall, and equipped with safety handrails that the current seawall lacks. This design will minimize the impact on the beach, address rising sea level concerns and create better contours for the restoration landscaping on the landward portion of the overlook area. 

The Army Corps has partnered with Seattle Parks and Recreation to design and build this coastal storm damage reduction project under Section 103 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1962. Coastal storms and erosion continue to threaten public infrastructure located in and around the project footprint, including a 54-inch King County sewer main, a main public arterial, City park property, and other underground utilities.

For more information please visit https://go.usa.gov/xw5T5.

For questions about the project please contact the Army Corps of Engineers

at 206-764-3750 or email alkiseawall@usace.army.mil.