Whatcom County Public Works Department unveiled three potential railing designs for the Jackson Road bridge to the Birch Bay Community Advisory Committee on May 20 in an effort to gather feedback on the new renderings.
The meeting was one of the first project updates after it stalled during the COVID-19 pandemic and then the historic November 2021 floods that severely damaged county roads. In 2021, public works staff said the project was one of the county’s top four bridges that needed to be replaced – in the county’s fleet of 162 bridges.
The weight-restricted bridge goes over Terrell Creek adjacent to the intersection of Birch Bay Drive and Jackson Road. Along with aging infrastructure, Birch Bay residents have voiced concern about the current bridge’s safety for pedestrians and bikers who don’t have their own areas separated from traffic.
“The current bridge is in poor condition and showing signs of deterioration,” engineering supervisor Ben Floyd said. “It's near the end of its useful service life. To meet current design standards, we need to replace the entire bridge.”
The Birch Bay meeting was a followup to a February 2021 open house where public works staff listened to Birch Bay residents’ ideas about the project. Floyd said the department incorporated those ideas into the three railing designs and other project components.
The new bridge will have a sidewalk on one shoulder, and shoulders on both sides were widened to create safer crossings for bikers and pedestrians. The bridge height was also increased, though some Birch Bay residents said at the meeting that they feared flooding could still reach the bridge.
Birch Bay residents are being asked to select one of the following railing options: a concrete traffic barrier with an aluminum pedestrian railing; a tubular steel railing with concrete end posts; or a concrete barrier with recessed panels.
Public works is also asking for input on whether there should be walkway lighting along the bridge and which of several paint colors should be used.
Principal engineer Jessica Soward warned the Birch Bay community that construction was still several years out, with even 2030 being an ambitious construction goal. The project, which received over $4.2 million in federal funds, faced significant hurdles with federal permitting. Federal permitting that previously took about one year is now taking three to five years, Soward said.
Public works and Birch Bay committee members said they wanted more residents to share feedback on the railing designs. Public works staff uploaded the renderings on the county’s website at bit.ly/3Q2EM7I and requested design feedback be submitted to Alen Ohan at aohanlel@co.whatcom.wa.us.
Birch Bay committee chair David Wilbrecht said the committee would discuss the design feedback it receives during a meeting this summer and make a recommendation to the county. Birch Bay committee meeting agenda are published on the county’s website at bit.ly/49ovdXf.
