Bluffton’s new public dock along the May River is finally open. Take a look
After eight months of construction, Bluffton’s revitalized public dock at the end of Calhoun Street is now open to the public.
Adjacent to the brand new Wright Family waterfront park, the popular dock that sits along the May River had been closed since April due to repairs.
The new wooden dock was part of an estimated $854,000 project to replace the metal one that floated near the Church of the Cross since the 1970s, according to town documents.
Though no public notice was given, Town of Bluffton officials began allowing people to visit the new dock on Dec. 30, Town Council member Larry Toomer said Sunday.
Long a symbol of Bluffton’s historic fishing economy, a public dock has been at the end of Calhoun Street since the early 1800s, according to town documents. The dock was built in a part of Old Town Bluffton that’s experienced major changes in the last year due to the opening of the waterfront park across from the Church of the Cross.
It will be a great spot for current and future generations of Blufftonians, Toomer said.
“If we’ve ever had a home run project, this was a grand slam,” he said.
The new dock features a bulkhead, 10-by-130-foot boardwalk, 20-by-20-foot covered pier head and a 12-by-120-foot floating dock that can accommodate up to six boats. The old dock could only fit four boats, according to planning documents.
Initially planned in 2017, the dock improvement project was included in the town’s 2019-2020 strategic plan and complements the public water access provided by Wright Family Park.
Early Sunday morning two people were seen fishing from the new dock and several more were relaxing and catching some sun at Wright Family Park next door.
