Thursday, August 23, 2007

Pier Repair - Update from City

PIER CONSTRUCTION STAGING BEGINS 08/23/07 – This morning, Murphy Construction began mobilizing at Lake Worth’s beach as part of the preparatory process for the repair to the William O. Lockhart Municipal Pier. Lake Worth’s pier suffered significant damage during Hurricane Frances in 2004. To mitigate future damage upon the pier’s reconstruction, Lake Worth officials sought FEMA approval to raise the pier five (5) feet. This process delayed the start of the project to ensure reimbursement from the Federal and State government by an additional ten (10) months. Murphy Construction, the contracted vendor for the project was scheduled to begin the reconstruction of the pier on May 14, 2007. Less than one week earlier, the pier suffered further damage caused by Subtropical Storm Andrea, as evidenced in the attached photographs. The project is expected to take eighteen (18) months through completion. The City has been advised the contractor expects to work on week-ends to expedite the project. Staging encompasses blocking off a section of the beach parking lot for equipment and material storage, such as the pilings which were constructed off-site. A portion of the roadway and the most southern portion of the upper parking lot will be closed to facilitate the project (see attached rendering). Businesses at the beach, including Benny’s on the Beach will remain open during this time. This work is not expected to affect the Greater Lake Worth Chamber of Commerce Triathlon, which will be held on September 9th.