City of Naples gets county site to stage pilings for pier reconstruction; commissioners ask staff to refine truck and barge routing

The Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved an interlocal agreement Oct. 14 allowing the City of Naples to use the countyowned Jolly Bridge site to offload and stage old and new pilings associated with the Naples Pier reconstruction project.

City staff described the operation: demolition will remove existing concrete pilings that the Army Corps will inspect prior to potential redeployment as reef material, and the new 100-foot pilings needed for the rebuilt pier will be offloaded, staged and then moved by barge to the installation site. City staff estimated about 110 long pilings with a staging schedule that includes roughly three truckloads per day on approximately 37 days during a six-to-eight-month work window; final truck routing will require coordination with Marco Island and state transportation authorities.

Commissioners expressed strong support for rebuilding the pier but asked staff to continue working with Marco Island, FDOT and law-enforcement partners to confirm land and marine routing, minimize traffic impacts and ensure marine safety while the staging goes forward. Commissioner concerns focused on lane closures, barge transit through busy waterways and the need for on-water escorts during in-season operations. The board approved use of the county site with explicit direction that county staff coordinate further on truck routing and marine safety measures before heavy truck movements begin.

Next steps: City and county staff will finalize detailed truck routes, seek any necessary state approvals, and return updates to the commission; staging and inspection operations will follow Army Corps protocols for debris inspection and reef deployment.