Cattle Point Road Relocation

Work begins on the relocation of Cattle Point Road – Louise Dustrude photo

Story and photos by Louise Dustrude…
If you hike or bike at American Camp, or if you live at Cape San Juan or Cattle Point Estates, you’ve seen work begin on the relocation of Cattle Point Road through the park.

So far it’s a matter of grooming the terrain and saving the topsoil, and they’re finding more topsoil than they expected — it’s not all sand! The amount of cut and fill is planned to balance out so that no dirt needs to be imported.

The six-month project to relocate the road up higher on Mt. Finlayson is the culmination of years of concern as the southern edge of the island erodes and falls into the ocean. The road will be some 300′ farther from the shoreline and is supposed to last “more than 70 years.”

Looking east from Mt. Finlayson toward Cattle Point, you can see the existing road, and the location of the new road – Louise Dustrude photo

That means it will be about 150′ from the popular trail leading to the top of Mt. Finlayson. Nevertheless, Shannon Wilbur, the senior project engineer for Public Works, points out that, because of the terrain, as you look out toward the Olympics from the top of the trail the road will not be visible in the foreground.

In fact, walking the length of that trail demonstrates that the new road is generally no more visible than the existing road from the trail, and there are still portions where neither one can be seen.

The Federal Highway Administration is managing the project in collaboration with San Juan Island National Historical Park, County Public Works, and the State Department of Natural Resources. Representatives of these agencies meet weekly to oversee the progress.

Park superintendent Lee Taylor is responsible for protecting Park resources. Of special concern during this project are the Island Marble butterfly and any archeological or historic artifacts, and there is an archaeologist on site daily to monitor both. Taylor goes out to the site every couple of days, and says she’s “glad to see the project coming to fruition — it’s been a long time in the planning.” Something like 12 years or more, would you believe?

Louise Dustrude photo

Contractor for the project is Strider Construction of Bellingham, and all the employees but one are here from the mainland for the Monday-Friday workweek. The one exception is Janis DeBardi of Friday Harbor, one of the flaggers. She has played other roles in a number of other construction projects here, including as project inspector for the Town of Friday Harbor on last summer’s Blair Street reconstruction.

Lawson Quarry is the source of most if not all granular materials, being delivered by Lawson truck drivers. Mike Carlson Enterprises is taking the waste materials from the site. When the new road is completed the old road will be broken up and stockpiled at San Juan County’s Beaverton Valley Yard. The old roadbed area will be restored with prairie plants now being nurtured by the National Park.

The speed limit from Pickett’s Lane east has been changed and will remain at 35 mph. With the addition of 4-foot shoulders it should accommodate bicyclists and hikers more comfortably.

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