All of Spanish Moss Trail reopened after parts closed for flooding project. ‘We’re thrilled.’
The final portion of Beaufort’s Spanish Moss Trail that’s been closed since last summer reopened late last week, bringing the city’s $8.4 million stormwater project closer to completion.
The Mossy Oaks Stormwater Drainage Project “began in earnest” in July with an accelerated timeline for installing major drainpipes in Basin 1 and Basin 2 as well as tidal flap gates in Battery Creek along the trail.
Portions of the trail along Basin 1 (near the Duck Pond), which reopened in February, and Basin 2 (near Southside Park) had closed in August due to the construction in the Mossy Oaks neighborhood.
Though it’s reopened, some “punch-list items” still need to be completed in the portion along Basin 2, which may cause short detours along the trail at times, Neal Pugliese, chairman of the Mossy Oaks Drainage Task Force, said in the release.
The trail still needs to be striped among other things, “but major work is completed, so cyclists, joggers and pedestrians should be able to enjoy the trail. We’re thrilled with that,” he said.
The task force was formed in 2017 to address flooding that has plagued the Mossy Oaks neighborhood for years during heavy rain, storm surges and rising tides. Since nearing completion of the major construction project to fix those issues, the new infrastructure has significantly ramped up drainage capacity.
