Starting off 2020, Birch Bay berm project gets underway

After decades in the works, preparatory work on Birch Bay’s long awaited beach restoration project began recently. The project, called the Birch Bay Drive and Pedestrian Facility Project or the Birch Bay berm, will add about 210,000 tons of sand and gravel to a 1.6-mile stretch of beach between Lora Lane and Cedar Avenue. The project’s goals are to restore the beach to a natural state by replacing a series of sea walls and other concrete structures, protect Birch Bay Drive from storm surges and improve bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure along the road.

Photo by Ruth Lauman