The Bremerton Boardwalk Project

Background
The City of Bremerton is developing a project that will construct a 3,400-foot-long over-water boardwalk connecting the existing Louis Mentor Boardwalk in the Harborside District to Evergreen Park. The Boardwalk will serve two purposes; it will provide a recreational waterfront experience for residents and visitors and access for maintenance of an adjacent sewer on the beach.

The Boardwalk was originally envisioned by long-time City Official Fred Schoneman over 30 years ago. Current maintenance access problems with the aging Washington Avenue beach sewer have helped to revive the idea. The existing sewer cannot currently be accessed for maintenance; the Boardwalk will solve this problem by providing 24-hour access to the sewer for cleaning and repair.

Purpose & Need
Sewer Cleaning Access
The existing sewer main is located on the beach and is failing for a number of reasons.

First, the existing sewer cannot be cleaned. In order to effectively clean the main, it must be accessed at several points (1,000-foot intervals at a minimum) with a vactor truck. Currently, there is only one cleaning access point on the nearly 4,000-foot-long main; the existing access point is below grade (underground) and below the high tide level, making access and cleaning time tidally-dependant. In addition, the access point is substandard and unsanitary. There is no manhole, so all sewage generated during cleaning cannot be contained and some is released directly into the Port Washington Narrows.
Second, there is no access to locate a vactor truck adjacent to the sewer to clean it. Historically, the sewer main has plugged about once a year. To unplug and repair it, all equipment (backhoes, excavators, etc.) must be driven onto the beach at low tide from Highland Avenue, used to repair the damaged sewer, then raced-off the beach before the tide returns. More than once, this heavy equipment has gotten stuck on the beach. To date, the City has been able to recover the equipment ahead of incoming tides; however, each repair event has an uncertain outcome and could result in damaged equipment and the introduction of fuel and oil to the sensitive marine environment.

Improved Waterfront Access
Bremerton is a waterfront city with 20.5 miles of marine shoreline. However, only 6% of that shoreline is accessible to the general public.

Project Alignment
Without crossing any streets, Boardwalk users will be able to walk or bicycle north from the Downtown Harborside District to Evergreen Park, the City's primary location for outdoor community gatherings. The Boardwalk provide a safe and scenic route, offering views of the Olympic Mountains, boats including ferries, Naval Ships, and the Port Washington Narrows.

The proposed width of the Boardwalk is 28' from the current Louis Mentor Boardwalk to the 5th Street connection. From the 5th Street connection to Evergreen Park, the proposed width is generally 20'; however, a bump-out to 28' is required at the 11th Street landing to accommodate the turning radius of a vactor truck at the sewer cleanout station. The proposed connections at 5th and 11th Streets will each be 16' wide, and the landing at 2nd Street will be 12' wide.