Dockton Marina Closure Extended

Work by King County Parks at Maury Island’s Dockton Park marina is taking a bit longer than expected.

A project that began on Aug. 1 — replacing the breakwater; upgrading the boat ramp dock and replacing the floating dock at the park’s moorage — marks Phase 2 of the county’s multi-year project to improve the marina.

Since August 1, this work has closed the marina’s dock area, including the boat ramp and floating dock. Originally, the closure was projected to last until Sept. 30. Now, the county says it expects construction to be wrapped up by Oct. 31, barring any other unforeseen construction issues.

This extended timeline is due to delivery delays and the need to protect nesting purple martins, according to Parks spokesperson Eleanor Lee. “Crews will need additional time for finishing work and cleanup,” she said.

The playground and picnic area of the park remains open and accessible throughout the duration of the project, but parking may also be reduced due to construction activities, according to King County’s website description of the project at tinyurl.com/mrcmt4js.

The website has now been updated to reflect the project’s extended timeline, Lee said.

According to the website, the county recognizes that its original timing for the closure overlapped prime boating season, but the project was limited by federal and state environmental permits, which restricted in-water work to a narrow window between August 1 and September 30 to protect local endangered species.

The continuing work, Lee said in an email on Tuesday, does not involve in-water activities.