The public will not have access to the North Jetty at the Mouth of the Columbia River beginning in October 2014 when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers begins the next phase of its major rehabilitation of the jetty system.
The Corps will mobilize equipment and personnel to replace a culvert under Jetty Road in Cape Disappointment State Park, and place material in the lagoon at the jetty’s root. A fence will identify the active construction site, which will be off limits to the general public. The project will stop erosion and stabilize and protect the root of the structure. It is the first step as the Corps begins critical repairs to the North Jetty, which is part of the larger major rehabilitation of the MCR jetty system.
Cape Disappointment visitors should expect construction-related traffic, road closures and some traffic delays. Jetty Road will be closed during the culvert replacement, and the west side of the east parking will be closed to accommodate construction staging. Access to Benson Beach from Jetty Road may be temporarily restricted during this time.
After the culvert work is complete, Jetty Road between the east parking lot and the northern gravel parking lot will be closed Monday through Friday with plans to open on weekends and holidays. Some additional closures may be necessary at times as the lagoon fill project continues into spring 2015. Park visitors can access Benson Beach during the road closure on foot from the east parking lot or the northern gravel parking lot.
The Mouth of the Columbia River’s jetty system was built from 1885 – 1939. The jetties have undergone repairs and rehabilitation several times since original construction.
The MCR jetty system was designed to minimize navigation channel maintenance and provide safe transit between the Pacific Ocean and the Columbia River. The jetties annually support $20 billion in international trade, 55 million tons of cargo and more than 40,000 maritime-related jobs.
USACE, June 30, 2014