LINCOLN CITY — If you’ve driven past the D River Wayside in recent days, you’ve seen the change. The aging restrooms are gone, and in their place a busy construction site hums with heavy equipment just steps from the Pacific.

From above, the scene is striking. A tall drill rig stands over the fenced work zone near the curve of Highway 101. Next to it sits a large white tanker truck on wheels. It’s a mobile grout plant. Crews are drilling deep holes into the sandy soil and pumping in a mixture of powdered grout and water. The goal: lock in a stable foundation for the new Lincoln City Welcome Center despite its close proximity to the beach and shifting coastal sands.

Eric Avila, Superintendent for Bremik Construction, the general contractor on the project, gave a clear update during a phone conversation.

“The big tank holds powdered grout and they mix it with water to pour in holes they are drilling to make sure the foundation is sound for building because of close proximity to the beach.” Avila said.

He added with clear enthusiasm: “The big cool stuff is happening now. We’ve been around for 22 years and have done some big jobs. This project isn’t the biggest, but there is a lot to it and that’s what makes it fun.”

SEE IT ON BREMIK’S SITE

The approximately $6.7 million Lincoln City Welcome Center project officially broke ground May 6, following the careful removal of the old restroom facility on May 7. The new 1,300-square-foot building, designed by Bearing Architecture, will be a mass timber structure with glulam beams and columns and a mass plywood panel roof.

Inside: visitor information, local history and culture exhibits, and accessible restrooms.

Outside: an ocean-view deck and a reimagined public plaza.

Site-wide improvements will include better parking (with dedicated RV spaces), improved drainage and resurfacing, enhanced accessibility features including a better ramp to the sand and beach wheelchair lockers, infrastructure ready for future EV charging, bike racks, picnic tables, public art, and even a heated foot wash station. The redesigned grounds will also better support community events.

The D River Wayside remains Lincoln City’s most visited spot, drawing more than one million people each year to the place where the world’s shortest river meets the sea. The upgrades are funded in part by $2.5 million in State Lottery Bonds, with the balance coming from local Transient Room Tax revenues paid by visitors.

Construction is expected to continue through the rest of 2026, with the Welcome Center targeted to open in early 2027. While much of the site will be under construction this summer, beach access, limited parking, and temporary restrooms will stay available so residents and visitors can still enjoy the coast.

For Avila and the Bremik crew, the detailed geotechnical work happening right now is exactly the kind of challenge that keeps the job interesting — and exactly what the community needs to ensure the new Welcome Center stands strong for decades right where the sand meets the sea.