Monday was a picture perfect day for Jordan Crandall to bring his young daughter and their dog for a stroll along Lake Erie in Athol Springs.
- Plan in place to rebuild Lake Erie seawall along Route 5
- New wall would prevent erosion and waves from crashing onto the road
- Construction is delayed while U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and state Department of Transportation work out language of a contract to start
But since they live a short walk away, they know the lake has many moods.
"You get that southwest breeze coming up, it's just crashing right over Route 5," Crandall said.
When the winds pick up on the Lake, the waves often breach the seawall and end up on Route 5. That can make for dangerous conditions, especially when it's icy in the winter and sometimes leads to closing the road.
"They just can't keep up getting the plows getting the ice off. Every few seconds it's just crashing over,” Crandall said.
There's a plan in place to keep that from happening. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is ready start on a $6 million project to replace the wall.
"It will help stop some of that wave action that is sort of threatening the highway that it could have some erosion issues and also the overtopping of the waves," said Ron Kozlowski with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The federal government will cover the entire cost with emergency supplemental funding, but the project is on hold for now. The reason? The Army Corps of Engineers and the New York State Department of Transportation need to work out the language of an updated contract to start construction. Previously, the plan called for 65 percent federal funding and 35 percent from the state. There is some concern that full federal funding could go away if the delay lasts too long.
"There are competing needs throughout the nation for emergencies that occur across the country. There are limited funds that are currently available," Kozlowski said.
State Senator Chris Jacobs, R-Buffalo, represents that area along Lake Erie, and sent a letter last month trying to help the two sides come to a compromise.
"Time is of the essence. First and foremost, safety. Secondarily, we have a great opportunity to have the federal government pick up the cost. We need to get the two bureaucracies to work this out so we can get going with the project," Jacobs said.
The Army Corps of Engineers says its lawyers are confident they'll reach a deal soon. A spokesperson for the DOT had a similar statement.
"The New York State Department of Transportation continues to work with the Army Corps of Engineers and is confident that the project will proceed without any impact to federal support," said Glenn Blain, assistant director of communications for the DOT.
Once an agreement is in place, construction could begin this fall and finish sometime next year.