CLOSING: South Beach to Shut Down Next Week

With the hot weather many people flock to the lakeside, spending the day on the beach splashing in the water and enjoying the Lake Michigan breeze.

But, next week, beachgoers will have to flock north as South Beach will be completely closed to public access while We Energies works to clean up the area.

"We Energies will be removing concrete rubble from the beach using large construction equipment," We Energies Official Susan Schumacher said in an e-mail to the city. "Both the beach and the parking lot will be closed to the public during that time for safety reasons. Thank you for your patience while we clean up the beach."

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According to the Ozaukee Press, the equipment will be used to remove the remaining pieces of two concrete smokestacks that were initially knocked down by We Energies in the 1980s.

"At that time, lake levels were so high that people were worried about the stability of the lake bluffs, so the utility reused the rubble as shoreline protection, placing it near the toe of the bluff," the Ozaukee Press article said.

Though officials expect the project can start Monday and finish by July 27, the beach is set to remain closed through July 29 in case weather prevents progress with the project.