Construction crews began tearing out a four-block-long section of the mile-long Rehoboth Beach boardwalk Tuesday -- the first step in rebuilding a structure that some say is in desperate need of repairs.

The demolition work includes removing the decking and structure that supports the boardwalk. Reconstruction will include rebuilding from the sand up in a project that is expected to cost about $2 million and take much of the winter and spring to complete.

A narrow section of the reconstructed boardwalk that will allow access to shops and businesses is expected to be completed by late March. All work is expected to be finished by May 15.

City officials have proposed a phased reconstruction project that is expected to cost about $8 million before the entire boardwalk is rebuilt. The first section runs from Rehoboth Avenue south to Laurel Street.

This isn't the first reconstruction of the boardwalk that city officials have undertaken. Rehoboth's boardwalk was rebuilt completely after the March storm of 1962 and large sections have been rebuilt since then -- after Hurricane Gloria in 1985 and after a fast moving nor'easter in early January 1992. But this is the first major redo that included the stringers and supports that hold up the boardwalk.

source: delawareonline.com