The boardwalk will provide access for people crossing through the tidal pool to get to the beach at Driftwood Drive.
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — Crews are working to make the beach more accessible, one plank at a time.
On St. Simons Island a nearly 1000-foot-long beach boardwalk is under construction at Driftwood Drive.
It should keep beachgoers feet dry, at least until they get down to the ocean.
“It’s a good little walk away, and of course there’s the big water pool you have to get around to get where you’re going,” said Christin Brown while wrapping up her beach day. “We don’t mind that. We enjoy that.”
David and Christin Brown have grown to like the maze of a hike they have to take from where they’re staying to get down to the ocean, splashing in and around a tidal pool through the dunes.
However, they acknowledge that may not be for everyone — especially when the tidal pool rises.
“My father, he was using a wheelchair toward the end of his life, and I thought it would be nice to come to the beach, but we’d have to have some access,” said David Brown. “So, I’m encouraged that they’re doing this even though we’re not locals.”
By the next time they visit, the Browns should be able to take the 967-foot boardwalk from the access at Driftwood Drive down to the beach.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources says the area has changed a bit through the years and gradually created a tidal pool where the old boardwalk ended.
The new boardwalk, with a price tag just under $700,000, will be five times longer than the old one and will cross completely over the dunes and tidal pool to drop beachgoers off on the beach.
“I appreciate they’re not just draining the tidal pool, cutting it down or matting around,” said Lauren Baggett, who visits the island annually. “They’re taking the time to build a boardwalk over it. I appreciate that as a visitor and someone who wants to see this island maintained for my son, his family and generations.”
It will also have access on either side to cater to people staying on either side of Driftwood Drive.
“The next time we come back, hopefully this will be done and we can have an easier time getting our big, ole wagon of stuff out to the beach,” Baggett said. “You’re going to be able to experience the dunes without having to be in it, which will be great. That’s ideal.”
Glynn County is hoping to have the construction complete by the end of July, so hopefully there will still be a bit of summer left for folks to test it out.