By Delayna Earley
The Island News
The Russ Point Boat Landing repair project at Hunting Island State Park is continuing moving forward.
According to a release from the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism (SCPRT), the state permitting, and approvals required to begin the repairs to temporarily fix the infrastructure at the landing are complete and the project is now out to bid.
The boat landing was closed on April 1 due to erosion repairs that were needed.
Originally the landing was to be closed permanently because it was deemed unsafe for the public, and SCPRT expressed that the necessary repairs to reopen were to great and not cost effective. But now the landing is expected to reopen following necessary repairs to make the landing safe for public use.
S.C. State Rep. Shannon Erickson previously said that the number of concerned citizens who have expressed a desire to help save the boat landing by volunteering their professional services has been overwhelming.
While Erickson said it would be great for the contract to go to a local company who has a knowledge of the area and challenges that Russ Point faces, they must go through the bidding process.
Sam Queen, spokesperson for SCPRT, said in the release that the project will follow the state procurement process.
The project is considered a minor construction project because the cost falls between $10,000 and $100,000.
The ad was published on April 11, 2024, and lists the construction cost range for the project as $70,000 to $75,000 to “repair [the] washed-out section of the boat landing road and parking area shoreline.”The contracting company will also be responsible for placing new rip rap along the shoreline of the landing.
Bids from businesses who would like to be considered to complete the project are due by 2 p.m. on May 7.
Queen said that SCPRT anticipates that they work will begin in the coming months but it depends on the schedule of the contractor that is hired through the bid process.
These repairs are temporary repairs to help reopen Russ Point for public use, but additional efforts to develop a permanent repair solution and to secure funding are in progress.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
