WHITE ROCK, B.C. — Repairs to a pier damaged when a hurricane-force windstorm tore across southern British Columbia last month could cost as much as $16 million.
The City of White Rock's engineering department has sent a report to council estimating repairs to the White Rock pier south of Vancouver could cost between $14 million and $16 million, while immediate fixes could tally nearly $5 million.
At the height of the Dec. 20 storm, powerful winds ripped a dock and several sailboats from their moorings, smashing the debris into the side of the 470-metre long pier, causing one section to collapse.
The report estimates using steel pilings and a concrete deck would cost $11.1 million, while timber pilings and a wooden deck would cut that by about $2 million.
The pier was insured, but city officials say it was only covered for about $7 million.
Reopening of the pier has been scheduled for the end of August but the date is now uncertain due to the extent of the work and a looming construction deadline set by Fisheries and Oceans Canada to protect returning salmon runs.
"It will be challenging to construct the immediate necessary repairs this year due to the fisheries window. Reconstruction of the remainder of the pier to a modern standard will need to be scheduled for subsequent winter construction seasons unless the fisheries window can be extended," the report says.
Immediate repairs are expected to the collapsed mid-section of the pier, but once those are complete more extensive work will be needed to make the entire pier safe, and the current fisheries window prevents construction until fall.
The pier will be vulnerable to earthquakes, high tides and damage from waves and debris until then, the report says.
Further construction on the marina and west wharf at the end of the pier won't begin until at least 2020. (News1130)
