Large construction vehicles and an array of workers are rebuilding and repairing the last mile or so of the South Jetty Road. The repair will require the movement of thousands of tons of sand to add to the road’s substructure, prior to the replacement of asphalt leading to popular surf and crabbing areas located at the end of the road.

Closure continues through October

Sept. 18, 2021 — “Work along the South Jetty Road project is moving on schedule,” reported District Ranger Michele Holman of the Central Coast Ranger District.

U.S. Forest Service announced in July that it would close parts of South Jetty Road for repairs to sections of the roadway. Beginning in August, access to the last mile of the road has been closed. 

There have been multiple road and asphalt failures over the past few years along the way to the popular crabbing and surfing locations at the end of the South Jetty Road. 

“Construction crews are in the process of rerouting the northern end of the road, beyond beach access point number five, and are preparing to pave it,” Holman said. “Most of the subgrade excavation is completed. … We expect the project to be completed by the end of October.”

The project is addressing long-term instability on the road.

“Visitors should be aware of traffic from heavy equipment and other construction vehicles outside of the closure area, as debris continues to be removed and rocks and other equipment continue to get delivered,” Holman added.

Local anglers and surfers have been unable to make their way to the surfing and fishing areas that are situated at the end of the South Jetty Road due to the construction. Both groups have pressed the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Forest Service to complete the project as soon as possible as the road is the only way into that part of the dunes.

Visitors will continue to be able to use beach access points 1 to 5 and the South Jetty and Goose OHV staging areas for most of the construction period. However, the entire road will be closed for up to a week, likely in October.

For more information, visit www.fs.usda.gov/recmain/siuslaw/recreation.