Gulf State Park Pier is one of the few publicly-owned attractions along the 32-mile strip of beaches in Baldwin County that has remained opened during the coronavirus pandemic.

But by next month, when the beaches are expected to reopen, the massive fishing pier will close.

The pier’s closing begins on May 11 and runs to mid-July to allow for a $2.4 million renovation project funded through the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment fund. The money, which was authorized last year by an Alabama Trustee Implementation Group – consisting of state and federal conservation and environmental agencies -- is tied to restoring lost recreational activities from the oil rig explosion that occurred exactly 10 years ago today.

“Visiting Gulf State Park Pier is almost a rite of passage for people who come to Gulf Shores,” said Chris Blankenship, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. “Because it is such an important part of our park, we are absolutely dedicated to maintaining the pier and ensuring it is safe and accessible to our many thousands of guests.”

The renovation project includes replacing the structure’s wooden decking and railings, installing new turtle-friendly lighting, building a new observation decide and refurbishing office, bathroom, concession and bait shop areas.

The new observation deck will be a 50-by-18-foot observation deck elevated by 10 feet, 6 inches above the existing octagon at the south end of the pier. The new deck will add bout 850 square feet of additional viewing space for pier visitors and will include an elevator to the top that will be handicap accessible.

The new decking is expected to hold up for decades against saltwater, wind and rain exposure.

Closing the pier will likely come after a decision is made about reopening the beaches, which were closed on March 20 by Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey through a state of emergency order. A task force’s recommendation, issued last week by Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, calls on Ivey and State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris, to reopen the beaches for recreational purposes on May 1.

Last month’s beach closures occurred following concerns about large groups of Spring Break visitors congregating on the beaches. Also closed were restaurants and hotels, leaving Beach Boulevard nearly desolate in recent weeks. The road is often inundated with spring travelers who visit Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.

Double red flags – typically flown during hurricanes to warn people that the Gulf waters are closed – have been flying throughout coastal Alabama since Ivey’s order.

But the state has kept the hiking and bike trails open in Gulf State Park, a 6,500-acre state-owned coastal park sandwiched in between Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. The state-owned Meyer Park has also been open for camping.

Blankenship, in an interview with AL.com last month, said the state restricted crowd sizes to 200 on the pier at one time. He also said that state employees are monitoring social distancing to ensure that anglers were separated by at least 6 feet apart.

But Blankenship also said that it was difficult to monitor. At least one fisherman, who visited the pier late last month, decided to fishing on the far northern end of the pier to avoid the large crowds that had gathered on other sections of it.

“I’m trying to stay away,” said Tony Nguyen, a Birmingham resident who drove to Gulf Shores to fish.

The pier is one of the longest on the Gulf Coast, measuring 20-feet wide and providing 2,448 feet of fishing space.

Other public piers have closed around the U.S. since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Notably, the Fairhope Pier was ordered closed on March 22, following a TV media report about large gatherings on it after Ivey had issued her beach closing order.

Fairhope Mayor Karin Wilson, in a statement last month, said the Fairhope Pier was initially left open as a way to give people a “healthy option” to get “fresh air and exercise while also maintaining their distance.” She said the “negative publicity” of keeping the pier open, could have exposed the city to liability.