San Juan County environmental stewardship staff on Monday told the council that construction to replace the Bayhead/Killebrew culvert on Orcas Island is on schedule and will begin in early September.

Tyler Davis, a county environmental steward, said contractor staging will start Aug. 20 and that initial construction activity will begin Sept. 2. The plan calls for a full road closure beginning Monday, Sept. 8, through Tuesday, Sept. 16 (nine days), with the overall project scheduled to finish about 45 calendar days after the start date — currently targeted for Oct. 17. County crews and the contractor improved Dolphin Bay Road to serve as a detour; temporary speed reductions to 15 mph on the gravel detour will be posted to increase safety.

Why this matters: the culvert replacement is intended to restore fish passage and reduce flooding risk while maintaining emergency access during construction. Davis said the county has arranged alternative medevac access nearby and coordinated additional on‑site fire coverage so that Orcas Fire and Rescue can maintain response capacity through the closure.

Staff said materials staging areas along Orcas Road will hold rock and other fill beginning Aug. 20 so the contractor can mobilize quickly; the contractor will not use the detour for bulk hauling. Davis said the county will post notices at Orcas Landing, the grocery and post office, issue postcards and update the project engage page with weekly progress reports once work begins.

Budget and funding: Davis said the project remains on budget and that FEMA reimbursement is proceeding; he reported about $1.3 million remained to spend on the construction component as of the meeting, with the county’s share split between public works and the Department of Environmental Stewardship.

Discussion vs. action: the presentation was informational. Council members complimented staff and emergency‑service partners for extensive preconstruction coordination and asked staff to continue frequent communications with neighbors.

Ending: Davis said staff will continue community outreach and that construction updates will be posted two weeks before closure and weekly during construction.