The public access staircase at Thousand Steps Beach in south Laguna Beach reopened at 6 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 4.
The stairs closed Sept. 20 for extensive repairs to the concrete steps and railings.
The 219 stairs were originally installed in 1978, and the stairway leading to Thousand Steps Beach had been deteriorating over the last several years. Maintenance patching has been completed on several occasions but had not lasted.
The repair project performed major repairs on the stairway to provide a safe way to access Thousand Steps Beach.
Work included a multi-step process of hand chipping, cleaning, priming and finish application to the existing concrete. Railings were cleaned, primed, painted, replaced and welded as needed. The wood steps and railing were replaced at the sand level.
Hours at Thousand Steps Beach are 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.