North Fork's $1.5M seawall project done

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has completed a $1.5-million seawall project along Route 25 on a narrow strip of land between East Marion and Orient.

The new seawall, designed to strengthen 350 feet of shoreline along Orient Harbor, “significantly reduces the erosion risk to Route 25, a critical evacuation route” for people on the eastern end of Long Island's North Fork, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New York District Commander Col. John R. Boule said in a statement.

The project was funded jointly by the Corps and the state Department of Transportation, which contributed 65 percent and 35 percent, respectively. About $850,000 came from federal stimulus funds.