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Columbia County to replace Reed Creek Boardwalk with 9-foot concrete PermaTrak walkway
Summary
An agency official for Columbia County announced a full replacement of the Reed Creek Boardwalk with a 9-foot concrete PermaTrak system, citing hurricane damage and a projected service life of 50–75 years; contractor award is expected mid–late fall and construction about 13 months.
An agency official for Columbia County announced at Reed Creek Interpretive Park that the county will replace the Reed Creek Boardwalk with a 9-foot-wide concrete boardwalk built by PermaTrak, with construction anticipated to begin in the next few months and to take about 13 months after a contractor is awarded.
The official said the engineering services division was assigned to repair damage after Hurricane Helene in 2024 and found the existing boardwalk to be raised, misaligned or shifted by floodwaters. After consulting with Goodwin Mills Caywood and engineer Shawn Shepherd and visiting a comparable site in Walterboro, South Carolina, staff concluded a full replacement was preferable to piecemeal repairs.
"We're gonna be moving with a 9 foot wide concrete boardwalk that is anchored in the ground with metal piers, and we're gonna have metal handrails going down the side that is through the company PermaTrak," the agency official said. The official added the concrete system is expected to have "a service life that is expected of around 50 to 75 years" compared with an estimated 15 to 20 years for the prior wooden boardwalk.
County staff described practical advantages of the concrete system: it can be power-washed and blown off to remove staining and moss, and its textured surface should be less slippery and avoid splintering. The official also said the project will use a top-down construction method so demolition and rebuilding occur simultaneously, which will reduce the need for equipment or personnel to enter the water and limit disturbance to wildlife.
The county expects to award a contractor in mid to late fall, the official said, and asked for public patience during the work. The official noted the PermaTrak top-down system would be the first such installation in the Central Savannah River Area, and described the project as a learning experience for both the county and the contractor.
Next steps: the county will proceed with procurement toward an expected mid–late fall award; construction duration is estimated at about 13 months after award. No funding source, formal vote, or additional contractor details were provided in the announcement.
