Keansburg pier collapses after being battered by ice in Raritan Bay

❄️A section of the Keansburg Fishing Pier collapsed into Raritan Bay

❄️Days of extreme cold, ice buildup and shifting tides are likely causes

❄️The pier's owners say they plan to rebuild

KEANSBURG — Part of an iconic fishing pier in Raritan Bay collapsed because of icy conditions.

Management for the Keansburg Fishing Pier announced damage to the pier from ice on its Facebook page Tuesday. Video of the pier shows it leaning over and partially collapsed into Raritan Bay.  The pier is owned by brothers Hank and Bill Gehlhaus, who also own Keansburg Amusement Park.

Mayor George Hoff said the 2,000-foot pier collapsed on Monday night and Tuesday and was surrounded by ice, which expands as water fills the porous nooks and crannies of structures in the water, like a pier. The entrance is blocked to prevent people from venturing out. Crews are also working to keep debris from drifting into the bay.

"It's solid and when you get further out it starts breaking up into chunks and I guess between the tides and the ice smashing into it I guess that's what caused the collapse possibly," Hoff told New Jersey 101.5.

Hoff said that before the collapse, the pier was in good shape and regularly passed inspections.

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Pier has survived hurricanes, Superstorm Sandy

Ice built up on the Raritan Bay and the Hudson River because of the Jan. 25 snow and ice storm and freezing spray, according to New Jersey Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow. Temperatures have not climbed over the freezing mark for a week and a half, and Raritan Bay water temperatures have been hovering just below freezing for over a week.

"Ice is not only very heavy, it also expands in size," Zarrow said. "This is just another example of the effects that the extreme, sustained cold temperatures can have on infrastructure.

Pier manager Kathi Smock told News 12 that the Gehlhaus brothers plan to rebuild but did not disclose a timetable. If there is a rebuild, it would the pier's third since it was first built in the 1900s to ferry in tourists from New York City.

The original pier was destroyed by Hurricane Donna in 1960, but was rebuilt in the late 1980s for another ferry service that didn't last long.  Damage from Superstorm Sandy in 2012 required another rebuild. There is no longer any ferry service but it remains a favorite place for fishermen to drop their line.

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