Arcadis, CH2M partner to lead San Francisco seawall rebuild

Exposed seawall near Pier 14 in San Francisco’s waterfront. Photo courtesy Port of San Francisco.

Amsterdam and San Francisco — The Port of San Francisco selected CH2M in partnership with Arcadis to lead the design and engineering for the 10-year Seawall Resiliency Project. The total fee for the contract amounts to $40 million.

In an approximately equal partnership, Arcadis and CH2M will jointly share management of the project. Arcadis will lead risk analysis, coastal engineering and modeling while CH2M will provide marine and structural engineering services for the seawall and other structures.

The aim of the San Francisco Seawall Resiliency Project is to fortify 3.5 miles of a century-old seawall protecting the city’s most treasured waterfront from Fisherman’s Wharf to Mission Creek near AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants baseball team.

“The major drivers for making significant improvements to the seawall include earthquake protection enhancements and flood risks caused by climate change,” said Peter Wijsman, Arcadis’ City Executive to San Francisco. “Arcadis brings its Dutch heritage of addressing coastal resiliency and its broad experience in civil engineering and coastal protection in urban settings, most recently in New York City and in New Orleans after major hurricanes. This contract win strengthens Arcadis’ water management position on the U.S. West Coast.”

The seawall supports historic piers, wharves, and buildings including the Ferry Building. It underpins the Embarcadero Promenade which welcomes millions of people each year and provides flood protection to San Francisco’s Financial District and other neighborhoods. The seawall also serves as a critical emergency response and recovery area, and it supports multiple municipal transportation systems and utility networks.

“We are proud to assist the City and County of San Francisco with this critical project along this iconic waterfront. Our strong track record in urban resilience globally, combined with our extensive water management expertise, provides a solid basis for our involvement in this important project,” said Peter Oosterveer, Arcadis’ CEO. “Growth in the U.S. and in urban resiliency is at the core of our organic growth ambitions and this project fits very well in our overall strategy. As it is common in our approach to projects, enhancing the sustainability of the seawall and improving the local Bay Area ecosystem will be an integral part of the work.”