ST. MARYS, Ga. – A new dock for the ferry to Cumberland Island National Seashore is nearing completion in coastal Georgia.
The Brunswick News reports the National Park Service is building a dock with deeper pilings in the coastal town of St. Marys, making the structure able to withstand waves and wind equal to those of the 2017′s Hurricane Irma, which destroyed the previous ferry dock.
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Since the Park Service dock was destroyed, tourists and park workers have been using a city dock, forcing detours for tourists.
National Park Service spokesperson Jill Hamilton-Anderson says completion of the St. Marys dock is scheduled next month. After that, crews will shift to Cumberland Island to repair two docks there.
The city plans to expand its municipal dock once the Cumberland ferry moves back to the Park Service Dock, adding 42 to 44 new boat slips. St. Marys Mayor John Morrisey said boaters will be able to stay for 14 days, bolstering tourism in the town.
Completion will also mean removal of fences and barrels that have been blocking the view along the city’s waterfront.