September 2, 2025 — On May 22, the Port of Everett Commission awarded a $6.75 million contract to Oregon-based Bergerson Construction to complete the final phase of bulkhead replacement at the Port of Everett Marina and rebuild the Segment E wharf near Port Gardner Landing and the Grand Avenue Park Bridge. Work will begin in early September and is expected to be completed by May 2026.
The project is replacing approximately 165 lineal feet of the aging wooden Segment E bulkhead with steel piles to provide a stronger and more stable support for State Route 529/West Marine View Drive (WMVD) — a critical commuter, freight, and military corridor. The section of overwater wharf directly above it will also be replaced, with new decking and landscaping added in its place.
The project includes lane closures on southbound WMVD with traffic reduced to one lane in the area adjacent to the work zone, and public access will be re-routed, starting next week.
Because the area is a popular spot for walkers and adjacent to summer events like Music at the Marina, construction has been timed between event seasons, with crews expected to mobilize during the week of Sept. 8, and work expected to wrap up by May 2026. Southbound traffic on SR 529 will be reduced to one lane adjacent to the work site for the duration of the project. Northbound lanes will not be affected.
Segment E is the last of 2,900 total lineal feet of Marina bulkhead to be replaced as part of an effort that began in 2005 in the Central Marina. The bulkhead acts as a retaining wall, stabilizing the soil under SR 529/WMVD, and helps to prevent shoreline erosion.
This section of highway is used by thousands of commuters each day and provides critical access to Naval Station Everett and the Port of Everett Seaport as a multimodal freight corridor. The roadway saw 11,361 annual average daily trips in 2023, according to Washington State Department of Transportation traffic data. The wooden bulkhead is nearly 80 years old and is at the end of its lifespan. Its replacement will be made of steel sheet piles, similar to the bulkhead spanning Guest Dock 3 to M Dock that has already been replaced in the Central Marina.
“We are so pleased to be able to start work on this critical infrastructure project that supports global trade, national defense, and public safety,” Port of Everett Executive Director/CEO Lisa Lefeber said. “In addition to the bulkhead rebuild that is supporting the south lanes of our state highway, it also will expand the public access and provide a banner separating pedestrians and cars.”
The Port must reconstruct the overwater wharf at the same time because the existing structure will need to be demolished in order to access the bulkhead underneath. Once rebuilt, the wharf will provide an ADA-compliant connection to the Port’s waterfront trail system. New landscaping elements will also provide pedestrian separation from the busy roadway.
The $6.75 million project was awarded to the sole bidder, Bergerson Construction. The project exceeded engineer estimates due to tariff uncertainty, in part, but the Port was able to secure additional federal funding to offset the cost. The project is funded by Port revenues, the federal Highway Administration, and Washington state capital budget.
As part of the bulkhead replacement project and wharf rebuild, the Port also completed the required environmental mitigation tied to the project by removing an abandoned 60-foot by 60-foot derelict barge along WMVD in February 2025. The barge removal was partially supported by a grant from the state Department of Natural Resources.
