Project overview
Work to protect Graveyard Spit along State Route 105 is now on a seasonal pause. Construction began in summer 2025 along the shoreline between the Shoalwater Bay Reservation (milepost 19.5) and Panoramic Lane (milepost 20.10) to help protect the road and nearby community from coastal erosion and rising sea levels, while also restoring habitat for endangered wildlife.
So far, crews have raised the dune and built a wave-absorbing rock barrier designed to act like a natural beach. This approach helps slow erosion while supporting the surrounding environment. Work is paused through the spring and summer to protect nesting Western Snowy Plovers. Construction is expected to resume in fall 2026.
What to expect
When work resumes, travelers may encounter occasional daytime, intermittent single-lane and shoulder closures. Nearby residents can expect some construction noise during both day and night hours.
Crews will work to protect the shoreline along SR 105, just west of Raymond, between the Shoalwater Bay Reservation (milepost 19.5) and Panoramic Lane (milepost 20.10), in Pacific County, WA.
SR 105 was realigned in 1971 after coastal erosion caused part of the highway to wash away into the Bay. From 1996 to 2023, there have been several projects and emergency repairs trying to maintain the highway and protect it from storms and rising sea levels. This project will restore the damaged barrier dunes to protect important habitats, Shoalwater Tribal Reservation land, SR 105, and nearby areas. This will be done by building a new nature-based dune and cobble berm to help protect Graveyard Spit, which is at the northern entrance to Willapa Bay, Washington.
Learn more about the history of the SR 105 coastline and the nature-based approaches to preserving this actively changing landscape.