About two weeks after heavy surf damaged the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, forcing its closure and all the businesses there, the city will host a reopening on Jan. 4.
The structure closed Dec. 23 after powerful waves chopped off the last 150 feet.
It has been deemed safe to reopen based on a recently completed sonar and engineering assessment, city officials said. The portion affected by the collapse, however, will remain closed after officials found damaged substructures.
City officials and wharf contractor Power Engineering Construction used sonar to find heavy equipment that fell into the ocean when the end of the wharf collapsed, City Manager Matt Huffaker said.
“The three heavy equipment items have been successfully located,” he said. “A skiff washed up on the beach and is secured, and the crane and a skid steer are currently in the ocean at a safe distance from the wharf and will be tagged tomorrow with a buoy to alert others of the locations.”
The crane was located approximately 160 feet southeast of the collapsed face of the Wharf, the city said.
“Seeing city staff, residents, and business owners come together to quickly recover from this incident is a beautiful example of what keeps Santa Cruz strong,” said Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley.
“The businesses along the wharf are ready to reopen and welcome the community back,” he said. “We understand that Wharf business owners are eager to resume operations for the public.”
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The reopening ceremony is scheduled for 10am on Jan. 4 at the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf. For information, visit Facebook or Instagram.
