Project to get under way at Presque Isle park

ERIE, Pa. (AP) -- A summer construction project at Presque Isle State Park will provide better access and storage for lake-dredged sand, a state official said.
From June to August, contractors are scheduled to begin breaking the pier's old concrete and replacing it with a 1-foot concrete cap reinforced with steel bars. A 100-foot-long section of the pier also will be strengthened so it's strong enough to hold equipment used to unload sand from a barge.
The sand is then to be carried by a conveyer to a stockpiling site. Having a stockpile of sand allows the park to replenish the beach and prepare for swimming season, which traditionally opens Memorial Day weekend.
The project will cost $177,000, said Gene Comoss, chief engineer for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.