OBSERVER Photo by M.J. Stafford Part of Lakefront Boulevard in Dunkirk is still closed due to drainage work, but officials hope to fully reopen the road sometime this week.

Lots of people are looking to do their first Lakefront Boulevard cruise of the spring — but as Dunkirk’s Department of Public Works director explained, a project is keeping part of the road closed.

Randy Woodbury told the OBSERVER the road needs repairs where new drains were installed. They went in as part of a wide-ranging project along the lakefront in the area.

The city is awaiting the spring reopening of its asphalt plant so it can properly fix that, along with damage from two weather events that caused waves to hammer the wall and splash onto the road. Without the plant’s product, the only thing available for road repair is “cold patch,” which is not suitable as a permanent fix.

“Target for all is next week,” Woodbury said.

Woodbury and Deputy Director Mike Przybycien discussed the lakefront project at meetings of the Dunkirk Common Council and the council’s Department of Public Works Committee. It’s a project run by the Chautauqua County Soil and Water Conservation District.

Przybycien said a fire hydrant was relocated onto a larger water line. Also, a large drain was placed in the bank on Wright Park Beach to stabilize it.

“That’s gonna save from erosion and if that plan doesn’t work, they’re prepared to rock that whole thing for us,” he said. “We’ve been helping (the county workers) but it’s been very minimal cost to the city. A few loads of stone and dirt here and there and we have to cut a couple of trees that they’re worried about pulling the bank.”

A storm drain near the Steger High Rise is also getting rerouted to keep water off Main Street beach, he added. The water will now go through wetlands on the west side of the high rise.

“The project will improve the water quality that gets to the lake,” Woodbury said. “We’re hoping Main Street beach, which is a beautiful beach, improves its water quality sufficiently to maybe make it a bathing beach.”

There will also be a wetland constructed in Wright Park to help filter runoff water, he added.

Workers previously cleared out the brush that surrounded Hyde Creek and did some other work on that waterway.

City officials also brought up the issue of parking in the Wright Park area. Woodbury said he wants to meet with the mayor, police chief, and other DPW officials and do a master plan for parking there.

“It’s my own personal opinion we should be very careful with a crosswalk where children go from the splash pad across the road to the beach side. I think we ought to think about that. Now’s the time to do it before things get too busy down there,” he said.