Completion of Surfside Beach Pier project delayed, official says

SURFSIDE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) - The long-awaited project to rebuild the Surfside Beach Pier is now facing a delay.

Town spokesperson Rob Blomquist confirmed to WMBF News that the timeline has now shifted to fall between mid-December and February 2023. Officials originally planned for a November completion date, with the pier being fully operational by March 2023.

It’s now unclear when the pier is expected to be fully operational as the town approaches six years since the original pier was destroyed by Hurricane Matthew.

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Per a report from WMBF News partner MyHorryNews, the town held a workshop Wednesday with all parties involved in the pier’s construction and look into delays in the process.

In that meeting, developers and town officials cited issues with side paneling on the pier’s buildings, stair handrails and other design modifications as reasons for the delay.

Blomquist added that the project has had slight delays all along due to materials, but nothing posed a major issue.

The delay also hasn’t impacted the decision on which businesses will be at the pier when it opens since negotiations are ongoing. Blomquist said the town is still taking suggestions for what residents and visitors would like to see at the pier.

The town is hosting a citizens’ workshop at 6 p.m. Thursday to address concerns about the pier project and take questions from residents.

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