Breakwater Construction

Background

Foth and its Joint Venture Partner (Envirocon) were retained by Xcel Energy to execute a Superfund remedial design and remedial action (RD/RA) at a former MGP site in Ashland, WI. As part of this larger seven-year project, a 950-foot long breakwater was needed to provide wave sheltering in order to carry out dredging of contaminated sediments in Chequamegon Bay, Lake Superior.

Approach

Using a Progressive Design/Build approach, from permitting through the end of construction, the fast-track project was completed in 10 months at a project cost of $15 million dollars ($1 million dollars under the initial project budget).  Extensive coordination was required between Foth and WDNR, USEPA, USACE, USCG, and the City of Ashland to build this breakwater through this expedited process. The breakwater involved placing 56,000 tons of stone. Overall, the project is one of the largest coastal structures built on Lake Superior in the last 50 years.

Results

Foth worked closely with the City to plan trucking haul routes and noise mitigation in order to maintain the 24-hour construction schedule. The breakwater serves as a major public amenity for the City as they redevelop their waterfront. The project safety record was exemplary with no recordable incidents, even given the tight timeframe in which work was completed.