Blizzard Takes Beach Staircase Down the Bluff — Aluminum Construction Means It Can Be Rebuilt

NAPLES, Maine - March 4, 2026 - PRLog -- Copy and paste:

This winter's coastal blizzard accelerated bluff erosion at a beach access site on Martha's Vineyard, sending a full staircase system from the top of the dune to the sand below. The structure — an Alummikon aluminum beach access system installed by Sebago Dock & Lift — survived the fall intact and is scheduled for reassembly before the summer season.

If it had been wood, it would have been debris.

"Aluminum survives the fall," said Nate of Sebago Dock & Lift. "You take it apart, inspect it, and put it back together. Wood gives you a cleanup bill and nothing to show for it."

Traditional wood staircases deteriorate rapidly in marine environments, require frequent maintenance, and when storm damage occurs, they are gone permanently. Replacement costs are significant, timelines are long, and access is lost — often for an entire season.

Alummikon systems are engineered specifically for dynamic coastal environments. Marine-grade aluminum does not rot, absorb saltwater, swell, or splinter. The modular design allows structures to be repositioned as shorelines shift and rebuilt rather than replaced after storm events.

Coastal erosion is accelerating across the northeastern United States. The bluffs of Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Cape Cod, and the barrier beaches stretching south to New Jersey lose measurable ground each year. The question for coastal access managers is no longer whether infrastructure will be impacted, but whether it is designed to survive and recover when it is.

The Alummikon staircase now lying at the base of the bluff answers that question directly. It came down. It will go back up. Same components, same site, before summer.

Contact: Nate | 207-310-3611 | nate@sebagodock.com www.alummikon.com | www.sebagodock.com