MUSKEGON, MI - A months-long, $1.6 million repair project on the south breakwater structure at Pere Marquette Park is almost completed, rendering the walkway out towards Muskegon’s iconic lighthouse safe to traverse.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District, which covers all of Michigan and parts of Wisconsin and Indiana, oversaw the project, which began in December and was expected to wrap up by July 4.
But according to Christopher Schropp, who oversees construction for the Grand Haven area office of the Army Corps of Engineers, the bulk of work wrapped up last week.
The project’s contractors, Muskegon’s Great Lakes Dock & Materials, “did an outstanding job of getting in and getting that done to lessen the impact on people who want to enjoy” the breakwater, Schropp said.
That marine construction company demolished the existing cap of the structure, replenishing missing stone underneath, capping the entire thing with new concrete, and placing armor stone along the basin and lake side, up to the shoreline, Schropp said.
All that is left to do now is apply sealant to the breakwall’s joints. That work typically takes place at least 15 days after concrete is poured, to allow it to cure, Schropp said. The breakwall will likely be closed off again for one to two days to allow that to happen, he said.
“If someone were to step in (the sealant) before it cures, then it would just make a mess,” Schropp said.
The breakwall, a popular walkway off Pere Marquette’s beach, was closed to the public in October because of safety concerns. The aging structure was unstable, especially during periods of high water and rough waves, Schropp previously told MLive.
Throughout the winter, and into the active construction on the breakwater, a fence blocked off the foot of the breakwater to discourage visitors from wandering out. That fencing has recently been removed.
The project timeline allowed for it to last until autumn, and Schropp previously said that Lake Michigan’s high water levels could affect the project’s timeline, because placing concrete cannot be done during periods of high waves and strong wind.
But neither weather nor the coronavirus outbreak - which halted many construction projects in the area - slowed the project’s progression, he said.
Although the project was delayed by “a week or two” at the start of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s first stay-at-home order, the project, which constituted critical infrastructure work and therefore could continue throughout the state shutdown, still “finished well ahead of schedule,” Schropp said.
A project in fall of 2016, also administered by Great Lakes Dock and Materials, cost about $100,000, and was intended to be a temporary fix while awaiting additional federal funding, said Schropp.
With the completion of this year’s project, the breakwall should not need more work any time soon, Schropp said.
The southern breakwater is one of two in the area of the Muskegon Harbor. It extends 1,514 feet from the shore and Pere Marquette Park. The structure is also home to the Muskegon Breakwater Light. Built in 1930, the red steel lighthouse stands at the end of the breakwater and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The aging breakwater was identified by the Army Corps and the City of Muskegon as an area of concern after a period of low water several years ago caused wood within the structure to rot. Schropp previously told MLive that that this allowed water to enter the structure, causing concrete to crumble.
Read more on MLive:
Repairs begin on breakwater off Pere Marquette beach in Muskegon
Muskegon County campgrounds reopen for the season
EPA administrator announces Great Lakes Advisory Board during visit to Muskegon
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June 07, 2020 at 01:02AM
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Breakwater at Muskegon’s Pere Marquette Park is walkable again, after months of repair work - mlive.com
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