The pier railing had to be replaced because along with being damaged and corroded, it did not meet current building code requirements for spacing between rails. Furthermore, part of it had been built with a continuous single-post steel pipe system that made replacing individual sections difficult.

The renovation project included the railing along the pier as well as a segment of an existing bicycle trail and lower parking lot that perpendicularly bisects the pier entrance.

The project was completed at a cost of $1.8 million, according to city staff.

Railing Is Part of Pier History

The Manhattan Beach Pier, built in 1920, is approximately 928 feet long and stretches from the end of Manhattan Beach Boulevard over the Pacific Ocean. In 1995, it was listed as a state historical landmark as the oldest concrete pier on the West Coast. The pier handrails are considered a contributing feature of its historical association.

Between 1956 and 1960, the pier's two-rail steel pipe railing was replaced with a four-rail steel pipe system. The four-rail system was installed between 1986 and 1992. 

When considering a replacement, the city had looked at three alternatives: 1) the current five-rail railing; 2) a four-rail railing with thicker rails; or 3) a "modern" railing with five thin rails and a wood handrail on top.

The State of California Department of Parks and Recreation favored Handrail Option 1 because it most closely resembled the historic handrails.