Gulf State Park Pier rebuild nearly complete

GULF SHORES, Ala. (WALA) - Reconstruction of the Gulf State Park Pier is now in the home stretch with Park officials hoping to open it back up before the summer ends. More concrete work had to be done on the octagon, pushing the opening back a bit.

Acres of Spanish mackerel surrounded Gulf State Park Pier Tuesday, July 16, 2024 gorging themselves on the masses of baitfish congregating around the structure. It’s a sight that’s sure to get any angler’s blood pumping. Until the fishermen return, the various species of fish who visit these waters each summer will have the pier to themselves.

Gulf State Park officials initially hoped repairs could be complete by the 4th of July holiday but once a closer inspection was done on the octagon’s concrete pilings, it was clear they would also need to be repaired.

“There was a lot more damage that we anticipated,” said Southern Operations Supervisor for Alabama State Parks, Lamar Pendergrass. “There was damage below the surface of the water with some exposed rebar and things of that nature which had to have some epoxy put in and seal it up and repair the damage, and also the grouting of the girders had all been eroded away.”

Since the concrete repairs are now finished, crews are attacking what’s left to be done. New, Brazilian Ipe wood railings are going up and floor panels are going down. Orange Beach-based MD Thomas Construction is now focused on finishing out the octagon.

“As you can see right now, they’re working on the octagon and again, with just a few other things like, we have to do the electrical, the water, the up lights, the down lights and just the other repairs that happened during Sally and again, as we said, by the end of summer we hope to get the pier open,” Pendergrass explained.

It took more than three years for cleanup, permitting and repairs to begin on Gulf State Park Pier after hurricane Sally critically damaged it in September of 2020. Work has continued non-stop since November 13th of last year.

The public’s certainly eager to get back on the pier and park officials are as well.

“I’m very excited to see the pier open. I’m probably one of the few people that have ever been up on the observation tower with a fully operational pier and looked at it as well,” said Pendergrass. “I about got blew off because that was right before Sally hit, but we were able to go up there and look around, so to me it’s going to be very exciting, not only to be able to get people back out here fishing but to see some of the improvements we feel we’ve actually made to the pier.”

Gulf State Park would love to see the pier back open by Labor Day but are making no promises. The observation deck won’t be open right away. The elevator is being ordered and built and it could take a few months for it to come in. Once it does, there will likely be some temporary closures to get it installed and the observation deck opened to the public.

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