Improvements and upgrades to take three to four months
The T.J. “Tony” Saprito Fishing Pier will be closed to the public beginning the first week of November while major upgrades and improvements are undertaken at the facility, the City of Sarasota has announced.
“Access to the pier will be obstructed for approximately three to four months to ensure public safety while the work is completed,” a news release says.
Among the planned improvements are a new top concrete deck; the installation of three shade structures, six benches and Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant railings; and a retrofit of the existing concrete piles and light poles, the release adds.
The popular and scenic fishing pier, located under the John Ringling Causeway Bridge, was built in 1979 and then partially rebuilt and rehabilitated in 2007, the release notes.
The adjacent Ernest “Doc” and Eloise Werlin Park and Hart’s Landing bait, tackle and snack shop will remain open while the work at the pier is underway, the release says.