Further Pier Repairs Will Have to Wait Until Fall

Repairs were made to the Hermosa Beach Pier last week after a team of divers inspecting the corroding under structure spotted areas that needed immediate attention, but now further fixes will have to wait until the fall. 

Weather conditions and the need to book a contractor are to blame for the delay, according to the Public Works Department.

Until these repairs can be made, about 60 feet of the northern part of the pier will remain closed to the public.

"We don't want to put the lives of people on the pier in jeopardy," said Public Works associate engineer Ken Reamey.

An inspection last year revealed that chunks of concrete supporting the pier were falling from one of its pilings because of water erosion. Further inspection this summer revealed that a large mass of steel holding up part of the pier structure was corroded.

Extensive repairs to the pier have not been made since 1997, Reamey said.

"We're experiencing how aged the pier has become," he said. "It's difficult maintaining structures that are part of a marine environment with the saltwater and waves that can corrode the foundation."

The team of divers from Ballard Diving and Salvage near Seattle shot underwater footage of the damaged pillars to determine what exactly needs to be fixed.

As a result of what was spotted on the videos, the corroded steel that holds a large part of the pier together was immediately reinforced last week. Reamey and the Public Works team placed a fiberglass "jacket" around the damaged piling, but realized that the area needed more protection from corrosion.

The repairs in the fall will "grout" the corroded steel by connecting broken pieces back together. A steel jacket will be placed around the pilings for a longer, heavier base with the aim of preventing further damage.