Troubled, twisted pier about to finally finish

Some Burlington residents may say this is a believe it or not moment, but the Brant Street Pier is about to open to the public in just a couple of weeks.

The pier’s construction has been anything but smooth sailing. It began five years ago and was supposed to have been completed in two years, but the city ran into some problems with the original engineers, driving up the cost to $14.4 million.

The unique S shaped pier is 137 metres long and seven and a half metres wide. It also features a circular node, 20 metres in diameter with a beacon above it covered in LED lights that will change colours. The railings are all wired to make the pier safe for children and pets as well as a rub rail for cyclists.

Some viewers may remember that many things went wrong during the construction of this pier. When construction began in 2008 the city of Burlington was informed of twisted beams that didn’t meet architectural approval. Then a crane collapsed, causing deficiencies in the pier’s structure.

The city moved on with a second contractor but is still in the process of fighting with the last one.

City infrastructure manager Scott Stewart says today’s all about relishing in the beauty of the pier. “They’ll have a chance for a view that you’ll never get unless you happen to be on a boat sitting on Lake Ontario so you’ll have a chance to look back on the crown jewel of Spencer Smith Park, whether you’re down here or any given day or part of a special event, Sound of Music Festival and Ribfest, these are just adding to the great experience you’ll have downtown Burlington and you can look back at our waterfront.”

The official grand opening is June 14 and 15 during the Sound of Music festival. The Burlington Teen Tour Band will also parade officials and the public on to the pier when it opens in a couple of weeks.