Planning to use the Spanish Moss Trail? Heads up, there’s a closure for construction
A portion of the popular Spanish Moss Trail in northern Beaufort County will close starting Monday as construction begins on the Mossy Oaks Drainage Project, according to a City of Beaufort news release.
The section between Rogers Drive and Broome Lane - about a half-mile portion of the 10-mile trail - will be closed for an unknown amount of time. The project team will have a better estimate on when the trail will reopen once construction starts, the release said.
During construction, a 1,200-foot-long sheet pile wall and tidal flap gates will be installed, project manager Neal Pugliese said in the release.
The wall will be driven in the ground, reinforcing the trail and preventing water from seeping into residential areas from beneath the trail. The flap gates being attached to stormwater pipes will also keep water from going into the residential areas during storms with elevated tides.
Residents in the area can expect an increased amount of traffic from heavy equipment and noise from the sheet pile installation.
The Friends of the Spanish Moss Trail have posted signs to help detour those using the trail.
“We appreciate everyone’s patience as we know that the end result will be worth the disruptions that residents are experiencing,” Pugliese said.
The Mossy Oaks Drainage Project began last month, stemming from the Multi-jurisdictional Mossy Oaks Drainage Task Force that was formed in 2017 to address the issue of repeated flooding in the Mossy Oaks neighborhood.
The project is being funded through two grants totaling $1.5 million and a $373,000 contribution from Beaufort County and the Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority.
