By Gary Popp
Wilmington, NC – Hurricane Ophelia last year blew away Camp Lejeune's Riseley Pier, and now officials at the base have put plans to rebuild the pier on the back burner.
The wooden pier was rebuilt once before in the in 1980's. And Camp Lejeune spokesperson Craig Thomas says when bids came in at around $3-million to rebuild it a second time, the costs knocked the project down the priority list.
Not everybody utilized the pier. The people who did, loved it, and of course we'd like to give it back to them. But we're just taking it one step at a time making sure everything that needs to get funded that needs to. And if the funds come up later on down the line, I'm sure it's something we'd like to rebuild.
Thomas says the plan was to build a concrete replacement. Camp Lejeune's Riseley pier was a favorite fishing spot Marines and veterans.