The replacement railing will be aluminum rather than steel. It will maintain the current sea foam green color, will be ADA compliant with five rails, and will be created in sections, allowing repairs of individual segments.

(Source: City of Manhattan Beach)

The new railing is expected to last around 25 to 30 years. The new aluminum materials used will not corrode like the current galvanized railings.

The renovation project, which is expected to begin in the fall, will include the railing along the pier as well as a segment of an existing bicycle trail and lower parking lot that perpendicularly bisect the pier entrance. 

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 current 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 resembles the current historic handrails.