Surfside Beach’s $20M pier project stalled again. Here’s when it could open to walkers

Adam Benson
·2 min read
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Surfside Beach leaders have always had a fragile relationship with its pier committee.

Now, they have none at all.

A recent vote by town council to suspend the volunteer group on Aug. 8 came shortly after members learned there’s still no grand opening date for the closely watched, multi-million dollar project.

Officials said the committee could be reinstated once the pier is opened.

“The realistic time is, there is no time,” council member Chris Stamey said during the council meeting Aug. 8. “It bothers me. It’s bothered me all along. Set a date and stick to it. If we had a set a date, we’d done have a pier by now.”

In October, a pair of stop-work orders issued over design conflicts and licensing oversights slowed construction, though both were lifted within a matter of days.

Public works director John Adair said Aug. 8 crews are hopeful the pier will be ready for walkers by August’s end, but an official grand opening likely won’t take place until mid way through next year. He ran through a punch list of ongoing work:

  • Handrails are on site and being installed while ADA-accessible handrails are en route

  • Elevator and fire alarm companies are doing final connections and following up with state inspectors

  • Light pole inspections have been completed

  • Undersled insulation should be delivered by week’s end

  • Podium to pier gate is being fabricated and expected on site by mid-August

  • Parking lot in progress with some drainage already installed along with concrete slabs, trash enclosure and entry plaza poured

  • Dominion and Santee Cooper installing underground lines over the next two weeks

  • Drippy’s Homemade Ice Cream outfit in progress

  • Town office storage space outfit in progress

  • Signage and trash cans also in progress.

Surfside’s pier has been a part of the coastal town’s identify for a half century. Initially built in 1953, it was rebuilt three times because of storm damage.

In 2016, powerful winds from Hurricane Matthews sheared off half its 800-foot-long walkway and closed it indefinitely.

FEMA awarded the town $15 million in 2021 to pay for the pier’s upgrades, but the costs have climbed to roughly $20 million.

To help make up the difference, the town implemented a new parking policy that put meters at all beaches and converted one-hour parking along Surfside Drive from Hollywood to Pinewood drives to paid.

Despite the setbacks, Surfside Beach resident Patricia Magliette said she’s willing to be patient as the pier work continues.

“We are still going to have a concrete pier, and even though you don’t like the fact it took so long to build, with any blessing this concrete pier’s never going to come down again,” she said. “It needs to be done right.”