Posted on March 4, 2020
“In two or three weeks,” the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will be placing riprap along storm-damaged sections of the Chicago lakefront between 49th and 51st streets, said Patrick Bray, the Chicago District Chief of Public Affairs.
Storm waves have extensively damaged the shoreline in the Morgan Shoals area, eroding parts of the Lakefront Trail — the pedestrians’ section between 47th and 51st streets remains closed since the storms of Jan. 10-11, which caused wind gusts of more than 50 mph and 23-foot waves — and threatening Lake Shore Drive.
Calling the situation an emergency, the USACE reached out to the Illinois State Historic Preservation Office (ISHPO), as required by the National Historic Preservation Act, asking for their comments on the project, according to Illinois Department of Natural Resources spokeswoman Rachel Tolbert. ISHPO has reviewed the project and will issue its response to the USACE on March 3, after Herald press time.
The area to be repaired is part of the ongoing Chicago Shoreline Protection Project, Bray said; the Morgan Shoals and Promontory Point sections of the lakeshore are two sections that remain to be completed, according to the project’s website. Bray said the work is expected to take several weeks to complete.
On Feb. 7, Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office said the scope of the erosion and storm damage requires more than $25 million to fix in Chicago and $12 million in the rest of Cook County. She asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency to declare an emergency in Chicago after the state did so.
“While the city has worked extensively over the past few months to respond to the damage and to secure the infrastructure and beaches along our lakefront — it is clear that this is a challenge we can’ solve alone,” Lightfoot said in a Feb. 7 statement. “We remain committed to working with all stakeholders at the state and federal level in order to protect and preserve this vital piece of Chicago’s landscape.”
FEMA has not yet declared a disaster. Chicago Park District spokeswoman Michele Lemons said the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications “is taking the lead on securing federal funding.”
The city has installed more than 5,000 feet of barriers and 1,000 feet of sandbags along the lakefront to protect roadways from storm flooding while the Department of Water Management has also aided that effort by ensuring that lakefront catch-basins are kept clear. The Chicago Department of Transportation and the Park District have been gathering data on the recent shoreline damage and potential future impacts on private property.
State Reps. Curtis J. Tarver II (D-25th) and Kambium Buckner (D-26th), with South Side Ald. Greg Mitchell (7th), formed a task force in December to evaluate the erosion and advocate for lakefront repairs.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted high lake levels over the coming months.
Source: hpherald.com
