While it may be chilly — and potentially slippery — for those venturing out along Lake Michigan, the Algoma south breakwater wall is nearing completion.
Over the past two years, Roen Salvage Co. of Sturgeon Bay has rebuilt the deteriorating 1,500-foot-long structure. Crews first demolished the old concrete top down to water level before reconstructing it with a new flat surface that is 4 feet wider than the previous one.
The pierhead and the entire south breakwater are maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help ensure a safe harbor for Algoma and provide pedestrians with a safer way to enjoy views of the lighthouse.
Algoma City Administrator Matt Murphy said last month that a few touch-up projects will be completed later this spring before the work is officially finished on the south breakwater wall and the focus turns on the north breakwater .
Even after the south breakwater wall is complete, boaters near the Algoma Marina will still need to watch for construction crews.
The Army Corps of Engineers has budgeted thousands of dollars this year for repairs to the north breakwater wall, along with maintenance dredging. Murphy said that work is expected to begin this spring.
