A major infrastructure upgrade is now complete at the Port of Everett, marking the end of a project aimed at shoring up both the waterfront and a key stretch of state highway running alongside it. Port leaders are treating the finish as a milestone for the working waterfront north of Seattle.
The work is known as the Segment E project. It replaced a 100-year-old timber bulkhead, a century-old wooden retaining wall along the water, with a new steel structure built to modern standards and designed to last far longer than the aging timber it took the place of.
The upgrade is not only about the port itself. Officials said the new steel bulkhead helps stabilize State Route 529, the highway that runs near the waterfront, protecting a piece of transportation infrastructure that thousands of drivers rely on.
Congressman Rick Larsen is set to join port leaders to cut the ribbon on the completed project. The appearance highlights the federal role in the work and the attention it has drawn from lawmakers focused on transportation and the regional economy.
Funding for the project came in part from Washington's congressional delegation. The Segment E work received more than 3 million dollars in federal funding, money that helped cover the cost of tearing out the old timber wall and building its steel replacement.
The bulkhead is not the only investment flowing to the port. Earlier this year, Larsen announced that the Department of Transportation had awarded another 11.25 million dollars to help modernize the port's largest pier, adding to a string of upgrades along the Everett waterfront.
Taken together, the projects point to a broader effort to renew the Port of Everett's aging infrastructure while protecting the highway network around it. For a port that has long served as an economic anchor for the area, the completed Segment E work is being cast as a foundation for future growth.