ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH, Fla. — Editor's Note: A previous version of this article reported speculation about the cause of the damage to the pier. These comments have been removed.
The pier at St. Augustine Beach was somewhat quiet Wednesday, and it wasn't just because of the cloudy skies.
St. Johns County – which operates the pier – has fenced off the last 100 feet of it to the public.
It’s the pilings at the very end of the beach that prompted the end of the pier to close.
According to the county, the pier’s last inspection was in May, and everything looked okay. However, that was before sand was brought in during the beach renourishment project, and the pillars were exposed.
"They were previously submerged in water," Dan Whitcraft explained. He is St. Johns County’s director of facilities. He said the pier’s pilings are basically big metal tubes with concrete inside.
"We had a report of a piece of the metal shroud around the piling had peeled back," which revealed the concrete underneath, Whitcraft said.
Peeled back, revealing the concrete underneath. So, he said, that sheet of metal was removed. He also explained that the thinner pieces of Kevlar peeling from other pilings are not cause for concern.
St. Augustine Beach has had a pier since the 1930s. This latest concrete version was built in the 1980s.
Whitcraft said the latest report said the pier had another 10 years. He did not know yet how much it will cost to repair this issue.
"We want to make sure public safety is first and foremost," he said.