Worthing Pier to reopen next week
Released: Friday, 29 November 2024
Worthing Pier is to reopen next week, thanks to the efforts of Worthing Borough Council engineers, maintenance teams and contractors.
The pier had to be closed on safety grounds on 9th October 2024 after a number of its supporting piles in the seabed suffered damage caused by severe weather.
Since then teams from the council and its contractors have worked closely together to design, develop and install an interim support structure that means the pier can be used again safely.
Visitors will be able to enjoy the pier from Wednesday 4th December 2024, when the pier's businesses will also be able to open their doors to customers again.
Cllr Sophie Cox, the leader of Worthing Borough Council, said:
“Thanks to the work and creative thinking of so many, we'll be able to reopen Worthing Pier to the community in just a few days' time.
“I would like to thank our residents and our pier businesses for their patience and support while we have worked through the challenges to make the pier safe.
“This project has shown just how much the people of Worthing think about their pier and how important it is to the town and its identity.”
After we were forced to temporarily close the pier last month, we immediately began working with specialist engineers to identify what needed to be done to reopen it fully as soon as possible.
A solution was developed that involved the installation of a new steel support structure running the full width of the pier, to take on the role of the existing cast iron piles that had been damaged and were no longer able to do their job effectively.
The initial phase of the work could only be completed safely from the beach. This meant that the contractors could only operate during spring low tides, when the sea was out far enough for the beach to be fully accessible.
As spring low tides only last for about a week in every month, this meant the project could have extended into December or even January, with the pier having to remain closed. Instead, by working day and night and making excellent early progress, the teams developed a new approach where the final part of the work could be completed from above, using scaffolding on the pier.
Working from above has proven so effective over the last two weeks that the activity has been completed in a fraction of the expected time - despite interruptions from storms and difficult sea conditions.
The required welding and bracing work was completed yesterday (Thursday 28th November 2024), allowing for final inspections to be carried out today and the scaffolding to be dismantled.
In the coming days, teams will carry out other repair and maintenance work on the pier that was identified during the above-deck work. This includes repairing some glass community artwork which is suspected to have been damaged by vandals climbing onto the pier while it was unsafe.
While that maintenance work is underway, the pier's businesses will also be given access to their premises to get them ready for customers ahead of the reopening on Wednesday. They were required to close at short notice on 9th October 2024 and need to clean and prepare their facilities before receiving visitors next week.
Throughout the works, we have provided daily updates on the work at its AdurWorthingCouncils Facebook page. For more details of the project see:
Photos: the piers, trusses, scaffolding and temporary working platform on the pier - close up and wider view
(PR24-083)
Page last updated: 20 December 2024