WILMINGTON — Nearly two years after the collapse of a portion of the Riverwalk at a federally-owned bulkhead the city and local leaders have secured $6.7 million needed to fix the damages.
In September 2016, Tropical Storm Hermine led to the collapse of the bulkhead owned and maintained by the United States Coast Guard. Although the destruction of the bulkhead did not take long, obtaining the federal funding took years of work from both local leaders, and Congressman David Rouzer.
Short-term repairs were initially made to the bulkhead by the Coast Guard, but now a long-term solution will be possible. Once the bulkhead is complete it will also allow the city to move forward with landscaping and other improvements to the area.
According to City of Wilmington Spokesperson Dylan Lee, “Congressman Rouzer will be joining Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo on Tuesday, May 1, at 10 a.m. to announce that they have successfully secured $6.7 million in funding to allow the Coast Guard to make needed repairs to the USCG section of the downtown bulkhead. You will recall that the city completed bulkhead work adjacent to the Market Street intersection in Riverfront Park last year. Once the next section of bulkhead repairs is complete, the city will move forward with park and streetscape improvements as outlined in the Riverfront Park master plan.”
The city has not yet confirmed the location of the public announcement that will take place Monday.
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