Oceanside Pier Bridge & Lifeguard HQ Improvement Workshop Tuesday

OCEANSIDE, CA — The City of Oceanside is holding the first community outreach meeting for the Pier View Way Bridge & Lifeguard Headquarters Improvement Project. Come learn how engineers, architects and preservationists are approaching this challenge and give your input on the future of the Oceanside Municipal Pier. The workshop will be held in the Civic Center Library Community Rooms on Tuesday at 6:00 pm.

Funded by Measure X, the Pier View Way Concrete Bridge & Lifeguard Headquarters Improvement Project is underway. Access to the Oceanside Pier is provided by the concrete structure known as the Pier View Way Bridge, which also incorporates the City’s Lifeguard Headquarters. This structure was built in 1927 and is showing its age, despite maintenance through the years. The bridge needs significant rehabilitation/replacement to address its aged condition.

Over the years, Oceanside has had six piers, with the current wooden pier dedicated in 1987. But the entrance to the pier, the white concrete portion that bridges The Strand, is much older. Known as Pier View Way Bridge and Lifeguard Headquarters, this structure was designed by Oceanside City Engineer R.L. Loucks, C.E. in 1926 and completed in 1927. Despite repairs through the years, it needs significant rehabilitation/replacement.

While the bridge is not officially designated as historic, it has been identified as potentially significant and qualifies as a historic resource under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

The bridge’s historic features and their importance in the iconic imagery of Oceanside will be carefully considered when deciding how to treat this aging structure.

Other important considerations in this project will include:
• The concrete bridge is past its useful service life. The ongoing maintenance problems associated with the bridge are hindering municipal operations.
• The harsh marine environment has led to significant corrosion of the steel reinforcement inside the bridge.
• Recent patching and painting have addressed the cosmetic issues, but cannot mitigate ongoing corrosion.
• Seismic deficiencies.
• The Lifeguard Division has outgrown its headquarters and requires more space to perform its duties. Consideration about the best location for the Lifeguard Division will be part of this project.
• ADA access to the timber pier, Strand Way and Pacific Street accommodated during construction and improved going forward.
• Incorporation of adaptive management principles for Sea Level Rise (SLR) with the flexibility to address SLR, if needed.
• Spaces for public gathering and vendors. Development of a structure replacement program consistent with the planned improvements to the Junior Seau Amphitheater, bandshell, and other adjacent historic elements.

Project Timeline

Phase 1 Schematic Design - Through Mid 2021
Phase 2 Preliminary Design & Environmental - Through Mid 2023
Phase 3 Final Design & Permitting - Through Mid 2024
Phase 4 Construction - Through End 2025

Public Outreach Meeting #1 - Tuesday, August 24th, Civic Center Main Library Community Rooms, 330 N. Coast Highway (6:00PM to 8:00PM)

Public Outreach Flyer - Community Meeting #1

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