The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded Big River Construction a roughly $30 million contract for major repairs to the North Pier in Grays Harbor, Washington, to restore storm-damaged sections that protect the harbor’s federal shipping channel.
The Corps’ Seattle District announced March 6 that the project will repair sections of the pier that have deteriorated over time due to storm exposure and overtopping waves, which have reduced the width and crest height of the structure in several areas.
The repairs will extend along about 1.4 miles of the jetty, targeting sections most vulnerable to erosion and surge damage.
Engineering work will focus on the replacement of displaced armored stones in the most affected areas. The contract specifications call for the placement of large quarry stone shields and the reconstruction of sections of the jetty ridge profile with heavy ground equipment located along the length of the structure.
The North Jetty helps stabilize the entrance to Grays Harbor by directing tidal flows and ocean waves away from the navigation channel, allowing deep-draft vessels to safely access port facilities that handle bulk cargo and other marine shipments, according to the Corps’ Seattle District project description.
Maintaining the structure is critical to ensuring the reliability of the federally authorized shipping channel serving the port, which supports cargo movements through the Port of Grays Harbor, one of Washington state’s major bulk export gateways, the Corps said.
The work was acquired through a sealed bid request issued by the Corps’ Seattle District. The procurement was designated as a 100% small business reserve and requires the contractor to provide all labor, materials, and equipment necessary to restore the damaged sections of the pier in accordance with Corps specifications and technical requirements.
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According to the Corps’ bid summary, Big River Construction submitted the apparent low bid of $50.66 million, ahead of bids from Trade West Construction, SEA Construction and Quigg Bros., reflecting a competitive field of civil and heavy marine contractors pursuing the project.
During the procurement process, the Corps issued several amendments to the solicitation, including one that removed a previously required project labor agreement and extended the bidding deadline to January 2026.
Prevailing wages under the Davis-Bacon Act apply to jobs classified as heavy construction in Grays Harbor County, including trades such as equipment operators, machinists, laborers and truck drivers.
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Centennial and recurring maintenance
The North Jetty is part of a two-pier system built by the Corps beginning in the late 1800s to stabilize the entrance to Grays Harbor and maintain a reliable shipping lane between the Pacific Ocean and inland port facilities.
A map illustrates the North Jetty at the entrance to Grays Harbor near Ocean Shores, Wash., where the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to repair storm-damaged sections that protect the harbor’s federal shipping channel.
Image courtesy of USACE
Construction began in 1898 and continued in phases into the early 20th century as engineers developed the harbor entrance improvement project, according to Corps historical engineering records maintained by the Seattle District.
Extending approximately two miles into the Pacific Ocean from Ocean Shores, the North Jetty works in conjunction with the South Jetty near Westport to limit tidal flows and limit the movement of sediment that can clog the harbor entrance.
Like many coastal structures exposed to Pacific storm systems, the piers have required periodic rehabilitation over the past century as waves dislodge stone armor and reduce the structural profile of the jetty crest.
Major rehabilitation campaigns occurred in the mid-20th century following storm damage and structural settlement along sections of the pier, and again during large-scale repair efforts in the 1970s, when crews placed significant volumes of new armor stone to rebuild degraded portions of the structure.
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Since then, the Corps has conducted additional maintenance through its civil works operations and maintenance program, periodically replacing displaced stone and reinforcing sections weakened by repeated winter storms and ocean swell.
“Repairing the North Pier is a vital investment in the economic health of the community,” the Corps said in announcing the project, noting that the structure plays a central role in maintaining safe access for large ships entering Grays Harbor.
The latest project continues that longstanding maintenance effort by restoring sections of the jetty where surging waves have degraded the crest and reduced the structure’s ability to dissipate wave energy and protect the navigation channel, corps officials said.
