Just in time for the Fourth, repaired Bryant Park jetty to re-open
Closed since late October, the jetty has been a popular viewing spot for the Great American Raft Race and fireworks displays.
JUST IN TIME for the Fourth of July, the Bryant Park jetty is scheduled to open to the public this week for the first time in eight months with a new wood deck and concrete walkway.
Closed since late October, the jetty — a popular Lake Worth Lagoon viewing spot for the annual Great American Raft Race and Fourth of July fireworks displays — showed no signs of repair work until about a month ago.
The replacement of rotted wood at the east end was finished June 23, followed a day later by the removal of a barricade that had blocked public access.
On Friday, June 25, crews jackhammered and removed the broken concrete walkway leading to the jetty. Fresh concrete for a new eight-foot-wide walkway was poured June 27.
The walkway and jetty is expected to open to the public by Tuesday, June 30, or Wednesday, July 1.
“It will be ready for the Fourth of July,’’ said Juan Jimenez, owner of JRJ Concrete Decks.
Here’s a short video of the walkway work.
City officials have not explained why the work started only recently, well after the installation in late October of a wood wall blocking public access.
With the renovated Gulfstream Hotel aiming to open later this year, city officials have tried to make improvements to Bryant Park. Earlier this year they passed new rules banning food sharing programs that had attracted homeless people to the park.
In April, the city told the Lake Worth Beach Independent the jetty work was expected to be done by May.
Public Works Director Jamie Brown last week indicated the work wound up being more extensive than planned.
“Once staff began pulling all of the warped and rotted boards, what was now exposed transitioned this into quite the project,’’ he said in an email this week to the Lake Worth Beach Independent.
“The brackish water hasn’t been kind over the decades,’’ he said. “Now, all structural components and hardware have been completely rebuilt and replaced.’’
A city spokesperson said the concrete work cost $49,000, with the deck work done by city Public Works crews.
The raft race, following a 10 a.m. parade down Lake Avenue, is scheduled to start at noon July 4 at the boat ramps just north of the jetty.
The city will host a hot dog eating contest at the Bryant Park bandshell at 5:30 p.m., followed at 6 p.m. by the July 4th lineup of activities, including music, a parachute jump and a hybrid drone/fireworks display.
(This story was updated July 1 to include information received that day from the city about the costs of the work.)
Wonderful news. Waterfront access for Lake Worth residents is restored. Hurray!
That's great - best view of the raft races.