Santa Cruz Wharf set to reopen nearly 2 weeks after pounding surf caused partial collapse
Officials announced the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf will reopen this weekend nearly two weeks after a portion of the popular tourist attraction collapsed into the ocean amid a pounding surf.
The City of Santa Cruz announced Thursday that the wharf would formally reopen Saturday morning and the city would hold a ceremony to mark the occasion at 10 a.m. The wharf and its many businesses have been closed since Dec. 23 when the end of the structure collapsed during a period when the National Weather Service had a high-surf warning in effect.
The re-opening ceremony is open to the public and will also be live-streamed on the city's Facebook page.
According to a press release from the city, a recently completed sonar and engineering assessment determined the wharf was safe to reopen. A crane that was on the portion of the wharf that collapsed is still in the ocean along with a skid-steer loader, but were not threatening any part of the wharf.
"Wharf contractor Power Engineering Construction worked with Pioneer for an ocean sonar scan to locate their heavy equipment that fell into the ocean on December 23," said Santa Cruz City Manager Matt Huffaker in a prepared statement. "The three heavy equipment items have been successfully located. 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, which is a safe distance away," said U.S. Coast Guard specialist Francis Schiano in a statement. "The crane is stuck at this time and not moving around."
The city noted that the portion of the wharf affected by the collapse will remain closed.
"The community's response to the wharf collapse on Dec. 23 is a testament to our City's perseverance and resilience," said City Councilmember Scott Newsome in a statement. "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."
The city said vehicle traffic will not be permitted to go beyond Marini's Candies on Saturday, so cars will need to turn around at the east parking lot.
City officials are facing some tough questions about the future of the structure. When asked about plans to rebuild the 150-foot section during a press conference a week ago, the city's mayor acknowledged that remains an open question given the growing risks posed by climate change.
"We'd be irresponsible if we didn't ask the question what is the right thing to do here," said Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keely. "But to say we're simply going to put it back is, I think, frankly much more risky and irresponsible than having a very serious conversation."
Last week, Santa Cruz County officials activated a disaster fund to help area nonprofit organizations that are assisting those impacted by the closure of the wharf. Donations can be made at the Community Foundation Santa Cruz County website.
