Work moving along on pier

NAVARRE BEACH, FL - Santa Rosa County officials want the public to check out the progress of construction of the new fishing pier.
   
Ed Waters and Son Contracting Co. of St. Augustine started work last month on the pier on Navarre Beach. Three sets of pilings have been driven into the ground.
   
"Construction is going very well," County Engineer Roger Blaylock said. "They are proceeding very well. As quick as they get the pilings in they are standing them up and jetting them to depth and then lifting the hammer and pounding them to spec. So it's going very well."
   
After waiting nearly five years for construction to begin, county officials have scheduled a ceremony to celebrate the start of work at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the pier.
   
The event will feature the setting of a cap on one of the pilings. A photo also will be taken of everyone who attends and will be displayed at the pier when work is completed.
   
The county's older pier has been unusable since it was heavily damaged by Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and Hurricane Dennis in 2005. The Federal Emergency Management Agency determined it would not been financially feasible to repair the structure.
   
FEMA allocated $7.6 million to build the new pier. The project's total budget, which also includes county and state funds, is $8.42 million.
   
Construction is expected to take about one year.