Vermilion Harbor west pier repair completed, east pier work to begin

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Buffalo District has completed a multi-year repair of Vermilion Harbor’s West Pier in Ohio.

The combined investment in the pier projects is $23 million and is 100 per cent federally funded.

The repair of 1,100 feet (335 metres) of the West Pier, which included the installation of new steel sheet piling, began in 2021 and was finished in June 2025.

USACE Buffalo District also announced that work on the East Pier is scheduled to begin on July 7 and will run through January 2026. A $6.5 million contract for the 600-foot repair was awarded in September 2024 to Michigan-based Great Lakes Dock and Materials.

Commenting on the project, Lt. Col. Robert Burnham, USACE Buffalo District commander, stated that the repaired piers are expected to protect the community, "for decades to come". Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur said the project, "enhances safety for inter-lake and international trade."

According to figures provided by the USACE, spending related to boating in the harbor generates an estimated $6.9 million in local revenue annually and supports more than 44 jobs.