The Flagler Beach Pier is finally getting temporary repairs, five months after the structure was heavily damaged by Hurricane Matthew.
"When Hurricane Matthew came through, it took a pounding. City has made it abundantly clear, let's get it fixed," said Shawn Buchanan, president of Construct Co.
Shawn Buchanan's Construction Co. team is getting to work. Tuesday, crews had blueprints out, reviewing their plans to replace the piling underneath.
"It's a substantial task," said Buchanan.
Buchanan said it'll be a challenge with the possibilities of Nor'easters or offshore storms while crews are working underneath the pier.
Along the nearly 100-year-old pier, the storm overturned benches, lifted wooden boards and took out part of the pier.
"Your last piers are right here," Buchanan described the portion of the pier that disappeared.
The crews are repairing and replacing hand rails, fixing braces underneath for stability and will replace the deck boards. They'll also add a rail across the end of the pier.
More than a dozen of these pilings disappeared from the pier during Hurricane Matthew, but now crews are bringing in thousands of pounds of timber to make the pier stronger.
"So when we get done the pier will probably be stronger than it was before the storm," said Buchanan.
City manager Larry Newsom said longevity is the goal for the pier.
"It's been through destruction a couple," Newsom said, adding the next stage was, "Then building this thing over the next two years basically to withstand a Matthew."
Buchanan said his favorite part of the job is knowing pretty soon fisherman and people will walk the planks of the pier again.
"Being a Florida boy, it's an honor to be able to be apart of this," said Buchanan.
The city's goal is to have the pier open for their events coming up at the end of April.