On Oct. 9, 2026, the Washington State Department of Ecology released a revised plan for turning Capitol Lake back into the Deschutes Estuary. It is called the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. Read it next to the 2022 plan and one pattern shows up across most of the changes. The new plan pays for flood protection and replaces infrastructure that is wearing out. Most of the boardwalk mileage that made the old renderings appealing has been cut, and what is left now depends on money nobody has found yet.
That trade shapes the loop around the lake, the lawn at Heritage Park and the bridge on 5th Avenue far more than the restored marsh at the end. The public comment period on the draft runs through Nov. 9.
A Shorter Bridge With More Room to Stand
The 2022 Final EIS described a new 5th Avenue Bridge with five 150-foot spans, about 750 feet in all. The updated design uses three 177-foot spans for a total of about 530 feet. Ecology calls that roughly a 30% cut in length. The abutments move out into the North Basin, with fill placed between them and the shoreline to carry the road approaches.
The 2022 version gave pedestrians a sidewalk on the south side. The 2026 version keeps separated vehicle lanes, bike lanes and sidewalks, and adds more pedestrian space and viewing spots along a multiuse path. The Olympian reported in July that, according to the project website, the pedestrian side will look out over the restored estuary and the Capitol Campus. The new bridge and its roundabout are planned for 25 miles per hour, and the current bridge stays open while the new one goes up just south of it. The roundabout at the west end was already in the 2022 study. The new document updates the traffic modeling for it. Building it would require a temporary closure of Deschutes Parkway, along with slope reinforcement near Percival Cove.
Where the Plan Changed
The bridge is the most visible change. The others mostly sit along the shoreline. Ecology's summary table lists them feature by feature, and the pattern is easier to see laid out in one place:
| Feature | 2022 Final EIS | 2026 Updated Design |
|---|---|---|
| Heritage Park shoreline | Existing seawall coated with epoxy, no flood berm | Shoreline raised about 3 to 4 feet as a flood-protection berm |
| Marathon Park utility and pedestrian bridge | Kept in place with added scour protection | Replaced in the same alignment, described as nearing the end of its life |
| Tumwater Historic Brewery | No flood berm | New flood-protection berm across from Tumwater Historical Park |
| Capitol Lake Interpretive Center | Open channel with boardwalk | Four open-bottom box culverts, with the walking path kept above |
| BNSF Railroad Bridge | No debris barrier | Debris barrier installed upstream |
| Middle Basin boardwalk | 0.75 miles | 0.25 miles, built later if funded |
| South Basin boardwalk | 0.25 miles | 0.20 miles, built later if funded |
Almost every row that gains something is a berm, a barrier, a culvert or a replacement bridge. The boardwalks lose most of their length, and the draft says the boardwalks and the fishing pier would be built in a separate phase if funding becomes available. The recreation plan did gain a few things. Water access is added at Heritage Park, its trails are refined, and the watercraft access at Marathon Park stays in the design.
The underlying goal has not changed. Ecology still describes the project as restoring about 260 acres of estuarine and salt-marsh habitat, replacing the 1951 bridge and tidegate with a 500-foot-wide opening that brings tidal flow back to Budd Inlet. Before that structure went in, boats could travel two miles up the waterway to the base of Tumwater Falls. The Steh-Chass village stood on the eastern shore of Budd Inlet, in what is now downtown Olympia.
Heritage Park Gets a Raised Edge
The Heritage Park berm is the change that ties the estuary project to downtown's long-range planning. The shoreline would rise about 3 to 4 feet, to an elevation of 17 feet. The draft says this meets a key element of the City of Olympia's Sea Level Rise Response Plan by closing one of the main routes floodwater takes into downtown. Sheetpile would run along about 1,500 feet of the berm to support construction and keep costs down.
Walkers will feel this change the longest. The draft says building the berm would close the Heritage Park shoreline trail for several years. Closures would cover the north and south ends of the park, from the tree line to the water. The rest of the park, including a way to walk through it, would stay open. In the document's own words, Heritage Park "could continue to serve as a primary civic open space resource for the Capitol Campus, downtown Olympia, and the broader community."
What Closes Along the Loop
Replacing the Marathon Park bridge brings the change closest to everyday use. That bridge carries part of the North Basin Loop Trail along with utility lines, and the 2022 plan would have kept it. With replacement now planned, the draft lays out these temporary effects on walkers during construction:
- North Basin Loop Trail. Expected to stay open for most of construction, with short closures to connect the new 5th Avenue Bridge. The loop would be broken for about six months while the Marathon Park bridge is replaced.
- Heritage Park shoreline trail. Closed for several years while the berm is built, with a walking route through the park kept open.
- Arc of Statehood section. Pedestrians would be detoured around this stretch during construction.
- Western North Basin. The Parkway road closure is not expected to cut off pedestrian access here beyond typical construction detours.
- Interpretive Center. The current walking path stays in place above the new culverts.
The draft is also candid about the parts that close nothing. More staging areas along Deschutes Parkway SW, more equipment and more truck trips for dredging and habitat work "may impact the recreational experience of some users during the 6- to 7-year construction period." The 2022 plan estimated up to about eight years of construction. The update shortens that even as the work area grows.
The Start Date Moved to 2028
The schedule in the October document is not the one people were hearing in the summer. In July, The Olympian reported that bridge construction could begin as soon as mid-2027 if funding came through without delay. In late August, JOLT News covered an Olympia Site Review Committee meeting where Ecology's project manager described finishing design and permits by mid-2027. Construction could follow later that year if funded, with tidal flow possibly restored in 2031 or 2032.
The fact sheet in the draft is more direct: "The State plans to begin construction in 2028, with project completion in 2034, if permitted." As of this month, that is the official timeline.
Two other things sit between the plan and the first excavator. One is money. The Olympian put the cost at about $416 million by the time construction starts. The 2026 Legislature paid for design and permitting, and construction still needs funding. The other is permits. JOLT reported that the city's review will include a shoreline conditional use permit, possibly a shoreline variance and a floodplain permit. City staff described their review as taking nine months to a year. Separately, the Port of Olympia plans to finish cleaning up contaminated sediment in Budd Inlet before contractors take out the 5th Avenue tidegate. Estuary construction is set to begin several years before that last step.
Ecology leads the project, which the Legislature moved over from the Department of Enterprise Services on June 30, 2025. Floyd|Snider is the design consultant and Kraemer/Orion Joint Venture is the general contractor. The project reached 60% design in early 2026. At the August meeting, the team said it planned to submit a 90% design package this fall.
About a Month to Comment
Ecology says comments work best when they address specific parts of the document, such as potential impacts, data sources, suggested mitigation or new information. Every comment becomes part of the public record. Here are the dates:
- Oct. 28, in person. The Olympia Center, 222 Columbia St. NW. Open house at 5:30 p.m., presentation at 6 p.m., public hearing at 6:30 p.m.
- Nov. 3, online. Virtual meeting and public hearing at 5:30 p.m.
- Nov. 9, 11:59 p.m. The comment period closes. Comments can go through Ecology's online form, by mail to the Southwest Region Office, or as testimony at the Oct. 28 hearing or the Nov. 3 virtual hearing.
The full draft and project materials are on Ecology's project page. Agencies may use the final version, expected in 2027, when they decide on permits.
Homes near Capitol Lake, Heritage Park and the west end of 5th Avenue will be described against this schedule for years, through the trail closures, the bridge work and the slow return of the tides. At Morrison House Sotheby's International Realty, we follow these civic projects closely because they shape how an Olympia property is presented to buyers. If you own near the estuary and want to talk about what the timeline could mean for your plans, we would be glad to arrange a private consultation.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
