The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District fully repaired the Erie North Pier, reinforcing 2,600 feet of the structure with new concrete and steel sheet pile under a $6.6 million federally funded contract, Erie, Pennsylvania, Oc. 9, 2025. The repairs ensure safe passage for commercial vessels, recreational boaters, and U.S. Coast Guard operations, supporting nearly $43 million in regional business revenue and labor income while preserving access to the Presque Isle North Pierhead Lighthouse (U.S. Army picture by Kaylee Wendt).
The Erie North Pier – a critical navigation structure and popular community recreation spot – has been fully repaired by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District.
Repairs to the pier ensure ships carrying hundreds of thousands of tons of cargo as well as recreational boaters can safely travel between the Great Lakes and Erie Harbor, supporting nearly $43 million in business revenue and labor income across the region.
Repairs revitalized 2,600 feet of the pier with new concrete and steel sheet pile under a 100% federally funded $6.6 million contract.
The pier ensures safe access for commercial vessels to and from Pennsylvania’s only Great Lakes port and boats in and out of Presque Isle Bay, operations for the U.S. Coast Guard, fishing, and access to the Presque Isle North Pierhead Lighthouse.
“The North Pier is a critical component of the Great Lakes Navigation System, supporting economic growth and strategic value to the nation, as well as great waterfront recreation,” said Lt. Col. Robert Burnham, USACE Buffalo District commander. “We’re proud to deliver this repair for residents and visitors from across the region, ensuring Erie’s waterfront continues serving the local community and the country.”
Repairs were conducted in two phases, both under contracts to Illinois-based Architectural Consulting Group of Chicago, Inc.
Phase one, completed from April to October 2024, included encasing a 200-foot section of timber crib adjacent to the U.S. Coast Guard Station with new concrete and re-attaching separated sheet pile and replacing failed bolts along 1,600 feet of the pier from the station to the Presque Isle North Pierhead Lighthouse.
Phase two, completed from August to December 2025, focused on the easternmost end of the pier, with repairs to existing steel sheet pile and wales, and installation of granular fill and a concrete cap along 1,000 feet of the pier and around the lighthouse.
Both phases were 100% federally funded under operations and maintenance.
The North Pier has reopened to the public after periodic closures during construction, with access for walking and fishing at the end of Presque Isle State Park.
See the work in progress here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YHIt5edouc
About the Erie North Pier and Erie Harbor
The Erie North Pier has protected Erie Harbor and Presque Isle Bay since it was constructed in 1900.
Erie Harbor is a deep draft commercial harbor which handled 716,000 tons of cargo, including limestone (62%), sand & gravel (30%), and salt (5%) in 2022. Waterborne transportation facilitated by the harbor supports $32.8 million in business revenue, 138 direct, indirect, and induced jobs, and $10.1 million in labor income to the transportation sector.