PORT TOWNSEND — After more than a year of planning, the bell finally tolls for restoration and seismic retrofit work on Jefferson County’s historic courthouse clock tower.

Drury Construction of Poulsbo is expected to begin work by the end of this month, a project that could last until October, said County Administrator John Fischbach.

The county commissioners on their consent agenda Monday approved execution of the contract with Drury after accepting in April the company’s low bid of $1.47 million.

Fischbach assured concerned neighbors living around the courthouse that work hours would last only between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday at the latest, and that work would more likely end at 3:30 p.m. each weekday.

October deadline

As a compromise with neighbors who took issue with weekend construction hours originally proposed, Fischbach said work on the weekends would only happen to meet the county’s October work deadline.

“If we get into some problems we may have to ask the city for a variance on the work hours,” said Fischbach.

Gordon Ramstrom, the clock tower architectural project coordinator with the county Public Works Department, said Drury will be given a notice to proceed with work on Wednesday.

“We’ll start to see increased activity over the next few weeks,” Ramstrom said.

Scaffolding will be used, and a temporary stairway will be built on the tower’s exterior, he said. Full scaffolding around the tower should be up by the end of June.

The county’s Web site at www.co.jefferson.wa.us will give residents a link for frequent updates on the project, he said.

During routine inspections in 1998, the interior condition of the unreinforced masonry construction of the 124-foot-tall clock tower showed deterioration.

County officials have said if winds reach speeds of 70 mph, the 113-year-old Romanesque-styled courthouse would have to be evacuated for fear the clock tower could come crashing down.

The work will stabilize the tower by drilling about six-inch diameter holes in each of the four corners from the top floor of the tower down seven floors to the ground, and filling them with concrete and rebar.

The stabilizing work will not affect the outer aesthetics of the tower.