Construction on Vermilion Harbor’s west pier continues

Construction on the Vermilion Harbor’s west pier continues as the crest is now complete from the beach to the navigation light, at the end of the pier.

The project, undertaken by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District, and its contractor, Norwalk, Ohio-based Mark Schaffer Excavating-Trucking, will ensure that the harbor remains economically viable and able to provide access for recreation and refuge to boaters on the Great Lakes.

Vermilion Harbor is on the south shore of Lake Erie at the mouth of the Vermilion River, about 37 miles west of Cleveland and 21 miles east of Sandusky.

It is a small-craft harbor originally authorized by the River & Harbor Act and constructed in 1836 by the federal government. The West Pier is 1,333 feet long.

“So far we’ve placed approximately 3,200 tons of armor stone and have approximately 700 feet remaining to be completed on the lakeside slope,” USACE said.

The beach will still remain open to the public on the weekends throughout construction. 

Construction of this $1.2 million project is 100 percent federally funded and expected to be complete by December 2023.