The long wait is over, construction at Coligny Plaza just about done

The wait for a new, improved entrance to Coligny Beach Park, the nexus of Hilton Head Island's main tourist districts, is almost over.

Most of the $1.43 million construction project should be wrapped up this week and landscaping installed by early July, according to park designer Mike Roan.

Afterward, only a few final walk-throughs by town and state inspectors, some detail work and a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony remain. But the public should be able to use the park by the beginning of July, "if not a little sooner," Roan said.

The project to rebuild the island's signature beach park began in February after a delay to cut costs. That month-long search for savings and rainy weather caused the project to fall behind schedule. It was supposed to be open by Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial kick-off to summer.

When complete, the new park will boast better views of the ocean, updated restroom and shower facilities, elevated seating areas, a picnic shelter and boardwalks taking tourists from Coligny Circle to the beach.

By far the most anticipated part of the project is its centerpiece, a ground-level fountain with 26 choreographed jets for children to play in.

Coligny Beach Park began as a horseshoe shaped parking lot, in which motorists could drive almost all the way up to the beach. The town built the beach park in the early 1990s.