Officials in Lakeshore are warning of thin ice conditions.

The Belle River is closed near the opening to Lake St. Clair due to construction of the Jetty.

There is no ice skating, snowmobiles or ATV’s allowed.

Signs have been posted as well as a barrier across the river to prevent access.

With the extended cold weather, the water freezes shortly after the contractor completes construction for the day.  Officials say the ice may look complete, however it is thin and unsafe. 

The Town of Lakeshore is repairing, replacing and extending the steel sheet pile jetty (break wall) that separates the Lakeview Park West Beach from the Belle River. The Jetty will be 150m with the first 25m repairing the existing break wall and 125m extended into the lake to provide a barrier for swimmers.

Lakeshore Council has decided the jetty will be walkable to provide recreational opportunities. 

The river by the pedestrian bridge is also unsafe due to the pumping station.

Residents are asked to avoid the area and stay safe.

Meanwhile, the U.S Coast Guard reports two, 140-foot bay class ice-breaking tugs have freed multiple vessels beset by ice in western Lake Erie and the St. Clair River.

The Coast Guard reports the cold temperatures over Lake Erie caused ice to form rapidly, leading to four cargo ships to become stuck in ice.

Commerce across Lake Erie is kept moving by U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard cutters providing ice-breaking assistance in support of Operation Coal Shovel. Operation Coal Shovel encompasses not only Lake Erie, but also supports waterways in southern Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair/Detroit River system, Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence Seaway and is coordinated out of Coast Guard Sector Detroit.

Lake Erie is the shallowest of the Great Lakes and as a result, the fastest to freeze.

Currently, ice coverage on Lake Erie is over 20 per cent, well above the seasonal norm of 5 per cent for this time of year.

With the shipping season set to end on January 15, 2018, Coast Guard cutters will continue to break ice to ensure that waterways stay navigable for cargo ships on the Great Lakes.