Public hearing Thursday night: Repairs to Port Washington breakwater to begin soon

PORT WASHINGTON (WITI) -- Repairs of Port Washington's breakwater will soon begin. On Thursday night, the city held an informational meeting to update its citizens on the process.

You may remember, the Army Corps of Engineers says 50 to 60 percent of the structure along Lake Michigan is failing.

Every winter, the structure freezes and thaws, and after more than 80 years of that cycle, the current armor stone has deteriorated.

So in early August, crews will lay new armor stone along the eastern portion of the breakwater.

"The overall from our standpoint is to make sure that we weren't just putting delicious whipped cream on a moldy brownie. It really was to make sure that we went ahead and protected as we could, knowing that the long-term would be those structural and safety improvements," Port Washington Mayor Tom Mlada said.

The city has also committed to repairing the walkway on the western end of the breakwater, but that won't happen until sometime next year.