CTS Engineers recently provided survey, and civil and structural engineering services for the Bear River Estuary Restoration project planned by the Willapa Bay Regional Fisheries Enhance-ment Group and Willapa National Wildlife Refuge. The project is located in the vicinity of Long Beach, WA.
CTS prepared plans, specifications, and cost estimates for the Viewing Platform and Access Trail that will be used by the public from the proposed Willapa Bay Visitors’ Center. The access trail total length is 5,500 feet and includes an elevated boardwalk over a portion of the estuary. The criteria for the trail specified ADA accessibility and access for small maintenance vehicles. The trail terminates at the Viewing Platform, whose feature is a green roof vegetated to provide habitat for the Oregon Silver Spot Butterfly. The entire trail on the ground will have either asphalt concrete or cement concrete pavement.
The elevated boardwalk surface will be a fiberglass grating with 44.4% of open area as required by WDFW. The boardwalk piers are supported by a unique system of diamond piers that eliminate impacts to the estuary vegetation.