SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KGO) — The Santa Cruz Pier officially reopened Saturday less than two weeks after a 150-foot section of the pier collapsed into the ocean.
The pier is a popular tourist destination near the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
Engineers say its structure is sound, although questions remain about its future.
“It’s a wonderful time to celebrate. We want to thank the dock crew, the dock crew and the dock crew. God bless them,” said Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley.
RELATED: Santa Cruz Pier Reopens This Weekend After Partial Collapse
Keeley welcomed business owners, locals and tourists back to the pier Saturday morning.
“You can come here for a meal. You can go fishing. You can enjoy the pier. You can be here safely. We’re excited to have the pier open again,” Keeley said.
On December 23, powerful waves struck the already damaged south end of the pier, breaking 150 feet of the structure.
Both the Dolphin restaurant and toilets fell into the ocean during the collapse. Three construction workers had to be rescued.
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The area had already been closed to the public for almost a year due to previous storms. The city was spending $4 million to repair the section when the collapse occurred.
“How quickly could we open that dock safely? That was the most important economic development action we could take, is open the dock so they could get back to business,” Keeley said.
This half-mile pier, 110 years old, is the longest entirely wooden pier in the Western Hemisphere. Its closure led to the closure of 20 restaurants and businesses during the normally busy weeks of Christmas and New Years.
“Even as an employee, I lost a lot of money because I stopped working for 10 days,” said Cirino Sánchez, manager of the Stagnoro Bros restaurant.
VIDEO: 3 people fall into ocean after Santa Cruz pier collapses due to high waves ahead of storm
Two people had to be rescued and another swam to safety after strong waves caused part of the Santa Cruz pier to collapse on Monday.
People tell us they are happy to return to work, even if they are not sure what awaits them. The mayor says climate change is having an impact and will affect the future.
“The pier will be here. There will be restaurants. There will be entertainment opportunities, fishing operations. All of those things will be the same,” Keeley said. “But what is the physical footprint, if you will, in the ocean, I think we should take the time to think about that.”
To celebrate the reopening of the Santa Cruz Wharf, parking for the first two hours will be free for the month of January.
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