Construction on the Pismo Beach Pier is ahead of schedule and under budget.
Mayor Ed Waage says construction is five months ahead of schedule and the cost is a few hundred thousand dollars under budget. Rehabilitation work on the damaged pier has been underway for a little over a year.
Once located on the pier, the visitor information booth has been busy with questions from tourists and locals alike.
"At least 25 to 50 a day. ‘What’s going on with the pier? When’s it going to be finished?’" said Heidi Jo Morgan, City of Pismo Beach Visitor Host.
"We are looking forward to having it reopened by the end of this year," Waage said. "We will have it temporarily opened, of course, for the 4th of July which is coming up next week."
Eighty percent of the decking has been installed on the pier and crews are working on the fourth and final diamond.
All 183 new steel pilings, which hold up the pier, have also gone in and when all is said and done, 800,000 board feet of wood will make up the pier.
"I’ve been going on the pier for ten years at least, so I’m looking forward to it being finished," said local business owner Eric Krever.
While it will look exactly the same as the pier did when the four diamond layout was constructed back in 1984, new this time will be sewer and electrical lines that will run the entire length of the pier.
"With additional utilities and because it’s a stronger pier, we can have events with food trucks and other things we couldn’t have before," Mayor Waage added.
New lighting with banners and public art will also go in to complete a project that’s been a Pismo Beach icon for decades.
The project has a price tag of about $8.8 million.
Construction on a new restroom and plaza area will get underway once the pier is complete.
The visitor information booth will go back on the pier but will instead be housed in a classic Airstream trailer, recently approved by the city council.
Fourth of July fireworks will begin at 9 p.m. on the pier. For VIP seating on the new pier, tickets will cost you $30 or $50 with a catered dinner. For more information, click here.
