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The Cape Henlopen Fishing Pier reopens in time for holiday weekend

The historic Cape Henlopen Fishing Pier will reopen this afternoon.

The pier was closed late last year due to engineering concerns about the structural integrity of the pilings that it sits on.

This week the contractor completed $400,000 of repairs to approximately 108 pilings, wrapping up the first phase of the pier’s latest renovation project. Phase two begins this winter.

The Cape Henlopen fishing pier was originally built by the Army to serve Fort Miles during World War II. The pier is now over 70 years old and according to DNREC’s consulting engineers, has long outlived its life expectancy.

The latest renovation project is expected to extend the lifespan of the pier for two to five years and is the largest repair to date undertaken by Delaware State Parks.

Delaware Division of Parks & Recreation Director Ray Bivens has acknowledged that “this is still only a short-term solution” and capital funds have been requested for the planning of a replacement structure.