Questions about the stability of a World War II spotting tower at Gulf Islands National Seashore in Florida's panhandle have led to a temporary closure of the Battery Cooper Loop Road in the Fort Pickens area.

An architectural and engineering firm conducted an inspection of the structural integrity and condition of the tower this week in preparation for a major restoration effort. On Thursday, officials received a recommendation to close the road and area surrounding the tower due to the questionable structural integrity of Tower 234, which is located along the Loop Road. The structural analysis was initiated as the first step in a restoration effort of the historic structure.

In addition to the vehicle traffic closure, visitors are advised to avoid the area around the tower, and public programming at Battery Cooper has been cancelled. According to the structural analysis, two of the tower’s steel columns are failing and their complete failure would likely result in the collapse of the tower. The National Park Service has initiated efforts to erect emergency shoring; however the contract for shoring installation has not been awarded at this time.  The area is expected to be closed for some time.

“If feasible, it is the intent of the seashore to reopen the tower for public use once the restoration is complete. The views from the tower are beautiful and provide a wonderful prospective of the park and surrounding area," said Superintendent Dan Brown.

The tower was built in 1943 along with the gun battery and range finders. The tower was retained by the state and later National Park Service while others along the coast were sold for scrap. In 2013, the tower was closed to the public due to safety concerns, which prompted a 2015 Historic Structures Report and the current restoration effort.

Battery 234 and its twin, Battery 233 on Perdido Key, were designed to house 6-inch guns with curved shields from cast-steel four-to-six inches thick. The shields provided protection against machine gun and light artillery fire.

Although the batteries received their shields and barbette carriages in 1946, the 6-inch guns were never received. The guns, shields, and barbette carrages present today were placed there in 1976 through the cooperation of the Smithsonian Institution and are identical to the type of guns that would have been emplaced by the Army.