Ribbon cutting ceremony for the Athol Springs’ revetment

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District will today host a ceremonial ribbon cutting for the Athol Springs’ revetment project.

The ribbon cutting event and media site tour is taking place 1:00 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9 at the Athol Springs project site, adjacent the Hoak’s Restaurant located at 4100 Lake Shore Rd, Hamburg, NY 14075.

The ceremony celebrates completion of the $8.2 million, 1,325-foot armor stone revetment of the Lake Erie seawall that will protect Route 5 from Lake Erie wave action and spray.

Attendees include:

• U.S. Congressman Brian Higgins
• U.S. Congressman Chris Jacobs
• New York State Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul
• Hamburg Town Supervisor James Shaw
• New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner MarieTherese Dominguez.
• USACE Buffalo District Deputy Commander Maj. Patrick Billmann

“With federal, state and local coordination, the U.S. Army Corps Buffalo District has delivered another successful project that protects and enhances Western New York’s waterfront and waterways,” said Congressman Brian Higgins.

“Accelerated project delivery is a testament to the technical capabilities of project team members: Christine Cardus Weston Cross, Mitchell Hares, Austin Nilsen, Tim Noon, Laura Ortiz, Brian Steils, and Tori Towndrow. They have been instrumental in delivering the new revetment before Lake Erie’s harsh winters arrive,” said Maj. Patrick Billmann, USACE Buffalo District Deputy Commander.

The new revetment provides a 10-foot-wide splash apron, which acts as a buffer between the lake and road. It dissipates most of the wave energy so that it does not affect travel conditions. Prior to the revetment, storms would deposit large amounts of debris resulting in unsafe conditions.

Buffalo District awarded the construction contract to Ryba Marine Construction, from Cheboygan, Michigan, in August 2019 and construction began in September 2019.