OSWEGO – The New York State Department of Transportation announced the completion of construction the fourth of five projects awarded to the Port Authority of Oswego, Oswego County, through the State’s Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative (REDI).
The Port of Oswego, located on Lake Ontario, is a leading international port, which supports nearly 120 vessels, allowing more than one million tons of cargo to pass through the port on an annual basis. The West Pier provides for ship loading and unloading of various commodities such as cement and petroleum and is vital to operation of the Lehigh Cement Facility. Record high water levels, high wind, and wave action, have negatively impacted the West Pier wall.
This project stabilized the pier wall ensuring continued safe operation. The REDI Commission awarded this project $70,000. In total the Port Authority of Oswego has been awarded $2,310,000 for its five resiliency projects.
State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, “The Department of Transportation, in cooperation with our state and local REDI partners, is thrilled to have completed another project that will help stabilize and strengthen the Port of Oswego against future extreme weather events. Ensuring the port continues to sustain increased levels of aquatic traffic and cargo that passes through is vital to not only the local economy but the state economy as well. Each of these projects within REDI are building a better, safer and more resilient future for New York.”
Resiliency measures implemented in this project include underwater wall repairs that sealed the face of the wall and will prevent future loss of fill behind the wall, stabilization of the existing concrete cap using tiebacks and reconstruction of the working pier surface behind the wall.
New York State Office of General Services Commissioner RoAnn Destito said, “The stabilization of the West Pier wall at the Port of Oswego is a significant milestone in the State’s Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative. Rebuilding and protecting critical infrastructure at the port benefits all the businesses and manufacturers that depend on the port’s ability to handle domestic and international cargo safely and efficiently throughout the year.”
In addition to the funding awarded through REDI, this project received $1.2 million in funding by NYSDOT, through the Passenger and Freight Rail Assistance Program (PFRAP), as well as $48,646 in funding contributed by the Port Authority of Oswego.
Senator Patty Ritchie said, “With more than a million tons of cargo passing through annually, the Port of Oswego plays a vitally important role in our local and global economies. In recent years, the facility’s West Pier wall has been compromised due to record high water levels. I am pleased this important effort to stabilize the West Pier wall is complete.”
Port of Oswego Authority Director Bill Scriber said, “The completion of the Lehigh dock project is the port’s and New York State’s commitment to furthering the growth of the commercial marine trade on Lake Ontario. This one project will support and expand maritime commerce and jobs in the Oswego area and central New York.”
In response to the extended pattern of flooding along the shores of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, REDI was created to increase the resilience of shoreline communities and bolster economic development in the region. Five REDI Regional Planning Committees, comprised of representatives from eight counties (Niagara and Orleans, Monroe, Wayne, Cayuga and Oswego, and Jefferson and St. Lawrence) were established to identify local priorities, at-risk infrastructure and other assets, and public safety concerns.
The REDI Commission allocated $20 million for homeowner assistance, $30 million to improve the resiliency of businesses, and $15 million toward a regional dredging effort that will benefit each of the eight counties in the REDI regions. The remaining $235 million has been allocated towards local and regional projects that advance and exemplify the REDI mission.
For additional information, project profiles and REDI news, click here.
Discover more from Oswego County Today
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.