Coastal Commission OKs Plan to Strengthen Ventura Pier
The state Coastal Commission on Thursday approved a plan to strengthen and extend the Ventura Pier.
Under the plan OKd by the panel during its monthly meeting, held in Coronado, the city of Ventura will replace the wood pilings beneath the 1,535-foot-long pier with steel pilings and add an 80-foot-long, 70-foot-wide octagonal extension.
In December 1995, high waves washed away 423 feet from the end of the pier.
The city built a new railing at the broken end and two years later added steel bracing.
City Engineer Rick Raives said the new steel support piles are 10 times sturdier than wood and should withstand future storms.
The $2.3-million reconstruction project, funded by state grants and the city’s insurance settlement, will begin next month and is expected to last through December.
Although the last 300 or 400 feet of the pier will be closed intermittently, the restrooms and the snack and bait shop will remain open.
A seafood restaurant at the base of the pier will also stay open during construction.
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