Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - After several years of being closed to the public, the City of Buffalo is pleased to announce the reopening of Tifft Street Pier, which opened in 2014 but quickly closed in 2015 after damage.
"The pier in the Outer Harbor are certainly both important assets to our city and region," said Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown. "Thousands of visitors come to our city for arts, architecture, sports and recreation. It's important to us to keep areas like this open for the public to enjoy."
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The pier underwent about $22,000 worth of repairs through a shared services agreement between the City of Buffalo and New York State.
"The work that was involved in making the pier safe was going back through the railing system, ensuring the railing system was tight and up to standards. In addition, we did some washing of the deck, the new deck was cleaned and sealed. We also maintained the LED lighting system on the pier, it sustained some damage. As all of you know during high water events, the ascent of Lake Erie comes up sometimes six to eight feet and caused some damage to the pier. There were some structural work to the pier that was done. Right now, she's open. She's safe for fishing, biking and recreational use," said Don Poleto, a senior engineer at the city's Department of Public Works.
Some other specific work includes the repair and reinstallation of stainless steel cables along the length of the pier, the replacement of damaged boards on the boardwalk and the installation of new railings.