NEWS FROM THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF NAURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
Vol. 38, No.190
April 29, 2008
For more information contact Pat Cooper, Cape Henlopen State Park Administrator, 302-645-8983; Britt Murray, Delaware State Parks Construction Projects Administrator, 302-739-9231; or Beth Shockley/Melinda Carl, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.
Cape Henlopen Fishing Pier Closed for Evaluation
(Dover, Del.) DNREC’s Division of Parks and Recreation closed the Cape Henlopen Fishing Pier in Lewes today, April 29, so that barricades can be erected to block off sections of the pier in need of immediate repair.
Eighteen of the pier’s pilings, located throughout the pier, have been identified in an engineering report commissioned by DNREC as “requiring immediate repair in order to keep the entire inner portion of the pier open.”
The pier will be temporarily closed while fencing is installed to keep the public out of the areas needing repair. The fencing may take several weeks to install, depending on weather conditions. During this time, park officials will consult with engineers to confirm that the pier can be safely reopened through the 2008 season.
“This closure is a matter of public safety, “said DNREC Secretary John A. Hughes. “We have to make sure that the structural problems identified in the report are assessed and that the fishing pier is safe for everyone.”
The decision to close the pier comes after a review this month by the structural engineering firm of Baker, Ingram & Associates. In addition to the 18 pilings requiring immediate repair, the report identifies 146 (or 25 percent) of the pilings on the inner portion of the pier that have little or no capacity for vertical or lateral loads.
The fencing will block off the areas where those 18 pilings are located while allowing the remainder of the pier to be utilized.
“This may have a long-term effect on the thousands of anglers and visitors who use the pier on a daily basis during the season,” said Charles Salkin, director of Delaware State Parks. “But public safety is paramount.”
Part of the 1,800-foot pier was temporarily closed in August of 2006 after structural problems were identified in the pier’s pilings and support structure. Ten pilings were repaired to allow for the reopening of the landward 1,200-foot section of the pier. The 600-foot seaward section of the pier, including the ‘T-Head’ has been closed since that time due to safety concerns.
“The pier, in general, is at or beyond its expected lifespan,” said Britt Murray, Construction Projects Administrator for Delaware State Parks. “The creosote-treated timber pilings have severely deteriorated and that deterioration is accelerating. There are a number of pilings that no longer provide any structural support for the decking above,” Murray added.
The all-wooden pier, originally constructed during WW II by the Department of the Army as a Mining Wharf, has undergone limited rehabilitation over the years, most recently with new decking and railings about 12 years ago.
The cost to repair the 18 pilings needing immediate repair is estimated to be $150,000. No funding is presently available. If repaired, it may be possible to use the pier for another year. After that, the pier will most likely require more rebuilding or replacement. The approximate cost to replace the existing wooden structure with a new concrete pier is $15 to $16 million.
