High surf and rising tide forced San Diego Lifeguards to close the Ocean Beach Pier and Pier Cafe Monday.
The closure was put in place at around 11:30 a.m. and was expected to be lifted the following morning, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department said.
Rolling waves could be seen crashing into the bottom of the pier and the splash soaked the walkway above. While the high surf prevented many from enjoying the 2,000-foot-long pier, it was quite the site for photographers and onlookers visiting the beach.
Surfers probably enjoyed it, too.
The popular pier was closed for more than four months after high surf during a mid-January storm ripped off a portion of the railing. City crews spent that time making $309,000 worth of repairs and upgrades to the pier.
A series of storms that followed prevented crews from quickly assessing the pier's damage. Once the assessment was completed, though, the city of San Diego's staff determined they needed to replace 2,200 feet of railing and fix electric, water and sewer lines.
The pier also underwent a long-term assessment by a structural engineering firm to determine how to rehabilitate the pier, according to City of San Diego Deputy Chief Operating Officer Johnnie Perkins.
At more than 1,970 feet, the Ocean Beach pier, which opened in 1966, is the second longest on the West Coast and the longest concrete pier in the world. It is frequented by about a half-million people each year.
