Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio) said that a project to replace the infrastructure within the Mentor, Ohio, harbor channel to Lake Erie is the start to improving the D grade that the U.S. received on its 2013 infrastructure report card.
The Mentor Harbor project was approved for a feasibility study on Friday.
“Investing in our infrastructure is a smart way to boost our economy while putting Americans back to work,” Joyce said. “The completion of this project will improve access to Lake Erie for nearly 900 boaters and allow for safer navigation… .”
Approval of the study advances the Mentor Harbor project to the next step in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Section 107 Program.
Section 107 of the River and Harbor Act of 1960 provides authority for the Army Corps of Engineers to improve navigation through a partnership with non-federal government sponsors.
The Lake County Ohio Port and Economic Development Authority, the designated non-federal sponsor for this project, leased the channel from the Mentor Harbor Yachting Club in 2009 to seek federal funding for its rehabilitation. The channel’s current infrastructure creates a difficult passage in rough weather for boats trying to exit Lake Erie due to its narrow width and orientation to prevailing winds.