Condemned Ala Wai pier open again after repairs

The Ala Wai Harbor regained 37 slips at its D dock last week, after interim repairs were completed, state officials announced yesterday.

The dock was closed and 46 boats relocated in July, after state engineers condemned the pier for safety reasons, a Department of Land and Natural Resources release said.

D&C Plumbing was contracted to repair the dock at a cost of $23,000, by bolting a galvanized steel frame to the existing dock and putting plywood on the pier surface.

The repairs are intended to strengthen the dock and extend its useful life until permanent replacements can be built, DLNR Director Peter Young said in the release. Thirty-seven boats will be allowed to return to the dock, he said.

The department will seek bids for similar short-term repairs for the Ala Wai Harbor's B and C docks early next year, Young said.

The department is also retrofitting the security gates along the 700 row at Ala Wai and reconfiguring it for "Tahiti"-style mooring.

For several years the department has unsuccessfully sought funds from the state Legislature for larger-scale capital improvements at the state's largest recreational boat harbor.