It was announced in mid-July that Port of Port Townsend commissioners hired engineering firm Mott MacDonald to create designs and prepare bid documents for the Point Hudson Jetty project. The aging jetty sorely needs a replacement or refurbishment; it was constructed in 1934 and has received little maintenance over its lifespan.
The project was discussed last May, but port commissioners decided to cancel all bids and suspend the project, citing a lack of adequate funds. The plan at the time was to create a steel combi-wall, an idea that was deemed too expensive and not aesthetically pleasing. Wear and tear on the jetty has continued to grow, however, and damage to the pilings is now visible during minus tides. Many of the pilings have deteriorated with damage from wave action and old age. Quite a few of the basalt rocks that make of the body of the jetty have slid from their original position.
Port commissioners redesigned the project, focusing instead on rehabilitating the 258-foot South Jetty, the most severely damaged section of the jetty. The new plan calls for the construction of a steel batter-pile, with a stainless-steel mesh lagging system around the existing deteriorated structure. The creosote logs will be removed and the basalt rocks will be allowed to settle into the sea floor, and any remaining space will be filled with granite quarry spalls. Bracing will be laid across the top to create a foundation for a future pedestrian walkway.
Mott MacDonald was selected after a bidding process and is preparing design parameters and preliminary drawings. The port will use a Public Infrastructure Grant from Jefferson County to cover the cost of the planning phase, and a combination $1 million federal BIG Tier II grant, port reserve funds, and bank loan will likely be used for jetty construction.
