Fishing, wildlife watching, and strolling could soon return to San Simeon Pier. Repair work started this week.
The nearly 70-year-old pier at Hearst San Simeon State Park was closed last year after winter storms severely damaged its support structure.
Dan Falat, with the San Luis Obispo Coast District of California State Parks, said crews are replacing the pier’s wooden supports with stronger, fiberglass-reinforced polymer piles. These new supports will help the pier withstand future storms.
“Those pylons have degraded and or dislodged in some cases, so we are essentially putting new structural supports into them, driving the pylons into the sea floor and then ultimately replacing any that we have identified as missing or needing a repair,” Falat said.
Crews will also replace other parts of the pier, such as the bracing, which connects the posts, and the stringers, or the beams that hold up the deck.
The beach remains open to visitors.
“They get to see the project in real time, and I think that shows the amount of effort that's gone into it and the amount of work that goes into rehabbing and putting the pier in a position where it's usable again,” Falat said.
Repairs are expected to take about eight months, depending on the weather. Portions of the upper parking lot are closed.
