MILWAUKEE — Crews are working seven days a week to move rocks the size of school buses along Milwaukee’s lakefront.
The South Shore breakwater repair project started in September.
Milwaukee County Parks currently has $2.4 million for the project to fix several holes that were caused by a storm in January 2020.
The breakwater is the line of rocks along part of the coast. The purpose is to break the waves before they hit land.
“We have a lot of amenities along the shore and if we didn’t have the breakwater, we’d get washed away by the lake,” Jeremy Lucas, the Director of Administration and Planning for Milwaukee County Parks, explained.
The South Shore breakwater protects the land along Cupertino, South Shore, and Bay View Parks. Some of those amenities include the Oak Leaf Trail and South Shore Yacht Club.
“It’s not just the yacht club. Everything in this basin from the submarine base to the beach is affected and protected by the break wall,” Mark Humphrey, the Vice Commodore of the club."
He was thrilled when he heard crews would fix the broken wall.
Crews from Great Lakes Dock & Materials brought in armor stones that weigh anywhere from 12-18 tons a piece.
“That’s the kind of weight and fortification we need to keep Mother Nature at bay,” Lucas smiled.
Rock by rock, the teams are filling in the holes along the northern section of the breakwater with a giant crane. The project is expected to last through early November.
“The goal is to become the healthiest county in Wisconsin and won’t get there unless we invest in public recreation spaces,” Lucas explained.
While this is a massive undertaking, Lucas said it’s just the start.
“The money we have now is $2.4 million to fix the holes but it’s kind of a band-aid,” Lucas said. “The entire breakwater does need to be rebuilt.”
Milwaukee County Parks requested $11.2 million of Milwaukee’s 2024 budget to continue the work.
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