Most of SLO County pier reopens after storm knocks out 5 pilings. When will it be repaired?
The damaged Cayucos Pier will soon partially reopen after a weekend storm ripped away five pilings and left the end dangling over the ocean.
But it will be several months before the pier is fully accessible to visitors again, according to the San Luis Obispo County Parks and Recreation Department.
The good news is that, despite the damage, the rest of the structure remains sturdy and is safe for public use, Parks and Recreation Department assistant director Shaun Cooper said.
The county has closed access to the end of the pier, which will be blocked by fencing and signage, Cooper said.
“We want to keep the pier accessible and open to the public as much as we can given that they’re safe,” he said.
Storm damages Cayucos Pier
The Cayucos Pier is supported by 61 “bents,” according to Cooper. A bent is a row of four vertical pilings and one angled support piling attached to a beam underneath the pier, he said.
An engineer inspected the pier on Wednesday and observed that the 61st bent was missing. The storm also damaged the hand rails at the end of the pier, according to Cooper.
Meanwhile, “the rest of the pier looked in good shape, looked secure and stable,” he said.
The county closed access to the pier starting at bent 57, according to Cooper. The rest of the pier will be opened to the public when the county installs a fence blocking the damaged portion — likely by the end of Friday, he said.
The engineer also inspected the pilings that washed onto the beach. The wood was in good condition, but it appeared that an object struck the pilings underwater and detached them from pier.
According to the engineer, the surf likely threw a large log at the pilings — knocking them into the ocean. Cooper said a “huge” log the size of a Volkswagen washed up on the beach after the storm, which could have been responsible for the damage.
Repairs to pier will take several months
When the winter weather subsides, an engineer will perform a full assessment of the pier, Cooper said. The assessment will take place in about a month or two when the ocean water is clearer and no longer “stirred up” by storm turbulence.
Once an engineer identifies the extent of the damage, the county will obtain permits for construction by the fall.
The county plans to complete repairs ahead of next winter’s storms, but may perform limited, temporary construction to stabilize the pier before then, Cooper said.
“The goal is to address these things as they happen and not let them accumulate over the years,” Cooper said.
This story was originally published February 22, 2024 at 12:47 PM.
