By Summer Huechtker|March 9, 2020 at 5:56 AM EDT - Updated March 9 at 8:42 AM
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - City of Charleston officials say the Brittlebank Park Pier will be closed for the next two weeks for repairs.
“Really it’s just wear and tear, some normal rot, wood in maritime conditions, a lot of environmental stresses, lot of foot traffic. So this is just another little project we’re doing here at the Parks Department to make our waterfronts safe and fun for everyone,” Charleston Director of Parks Jason Kronsberg said.
The wooden pier at the park was originally built back in 1992. The city will be using recycled plastic to replace the wooden deck.
“Using recycled products creates less stresses on our resources,” Kronsberg said.
The city says this material, which will be brown and look similar to real wood, will make the deck more durable and will reduce maintenance costs in the future.
The new deck material is being shipped in from an outside company who manufactures recycled products into dependable decking.
The city says this bridge will be made from the same material as the new pier at the Northbridge Park in West Ashley.
The City of Charleston is using its own staff carpenters and construction crews to replace the deck. They do not have a set deadline for when the pier construction will be complete but they are hoping to get as far as possible in these next two weeks.
The pier is set to re-open on March 20.
This project is being funded by the city’s general maintenance dollars. The city says they are trying to be more respectful of how they spend tax payer money by using global resources.
They added that while this project may cost a little more to replace than wood, the new material is expected to last a lot longer.
“We’re always evaluating our waterfront facilities to see what they need to make them more resilient and safe,” Kronsberg said.
The use of recycled products is something the city says the public can expect to see more of around town, especially in outdoor projects at local parks like Brittlebank.
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