Lake Erie Breakwater To Be Repaired For $2.1 Million

LORAIN, OH — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded a $2.1 million contract for repairs to the Lorain breakwater in Lake Erie. Construction will start in 2020.

A breakwater is used to protect harbors from waves and provide safe berthing for vessels, the Food and Agriculture Organization noted. The Lorain breakwater is located in Lake Erie, in the Port of Lorain.

The contract for repairs was awarded on September 9 to Great Lakes Docks and Materials, a company from Michigan. Work on the breakwater will start and finish in 2020, Rep. Marcy Kaptur, a Democrat from Lorain, said in a statement.

"I am pleased to see that the Army Corps of Engineers will direct this important funding to strengthen the Lorain breakwater, which has been in desperate need of repairs," said Kaptur. "A breakwater represents the first line of defense against the turbulent tides of Lake Erie for many of our lake front communities."

A cell of the Lorain breakwater was taken out in 2017 because it was falling apart. The $2.1 million contract given to Great Lakes Docks and Materials will provide for repairs to the 2017 cell. The contract also calls for repairs to any remaining cracks and the addition of solar powered lights on both sides of the breakwater.

"As we face the reality of rising lake levels, diligence is required to insure the safety and navigability of many harbors in the Great Lakes region. I appreciate the Army Corps of Engineers' partnership and attention to this important investment for the City of Lorain and its commercial and recreational harbor users and look forward to future efforts that have a direct, substantive effect on our lake front communities," Kaptur said.