Pier into the future: After five years, new Gulf State Park Pier set for July 23 opening - al.com

Pier into the future: After five years, new Gulf State Park Pier set for July 23 opening - al.com: Gulf Shores / Orange Beach, AL - "Shortly after Hurricane Ivan destroyed the Gulf State Park Pier in September 2004, many fishermen began counting down the time until a new pier would be built.

On Tuesday, Alabama conservation department officials announced that the clock would officially reach 00:00 at 9 a.m. on July 23. That's when Gov. Bob Riley is expected to cut the ribbon to open the 1,520-foot-long pier after more than 18 months of construction and a bid cost of $16.2 million.

'As you know, good things come to those who wait. We had hoped to open the new Gulf State Park Pier this spring, but Mother Nature decided otherwise,' state conservation commissioner Barnett Lawley said. 'That said, the new pier will be the longest on the Gulf Coast and will reach more than 1,500 feet into the Gulf of Mexico."