Where does the Waterway Boulevard path end? The City of Isle of Palms built the new path from 21st Avenue toward 41st Avenue and the Isle of Palms Marina. It plans to carry it another 700 feet to the free public dock. That last piece was approved on Oct. 27, and it is the one that will turn a marsh-side sidewalk into a route that ends on the water.
The City will cut the ribbon on the finished section next Thursday, Nov. 19, at 10 a.m. at Waterway Boulevard and Forest Trail. The invitation is open to residents. What the ceremony marks is the long middle of the route. The end at the marina is still on the way.
Five feet became eight
The widening is the change anyone on the path can see. A 2022 study by Thomas & Hutton for the City put the Waterway Boulevard pathway at about 1.7 miles. It planned to widen it from 5 feet to 8. The City's project page now describes the sidewalk as 8 feet wide in most areas. That is enough room for a runner to pass a stroller without anyone stepping into the grass.
Parts of the path were also raised. The City started the project after a December 2023 nor'easter, and the raised path now serves as part of its flood barrier along the marsh side of the island. Check valves were added to the drainage system as part of the same work. The earlier phase sits nearby. It built new berms along the Harbor Golf Course, and the City describes that work as largely invisible.
A season built in sections
Anyone who walked the path this year saw it built a block at a time, mostly with the path still open. The City's own updates trace it.
| City update | Where the work stood |
|---|---|
| April 23, 2026 | Work underway from 21st to 30th Avenue, starting with the old sidewalk at 21st and Waterway. The path stayed open on compacted gravel until final paving. |
| July 14, 2026 | Paving done from 21st to 29th Avenue. The old path was removed from 29th Avenue to Timber Lane and still in place from Timber Lane to 41st Avenue. |
| August 3, 2026 | Groundwater turned up while The Bastion Group was installing a drainage structure, so the 32nd Avenue closure was extended. |
| August 10, 2026 | Drainage work around 32nd Avenue, with utility offsets at Sparrow Drive and 3605 Waterway Blvd. |
| August 26, 2026 | All utility relocations finished after a delay of several weeks tied to AT&T utilities and their coordination with SCDOT. |
| October 12, 2026 | Phase 2 declared complete and the ribbon cutting scheduled. |
The sequence also shows how the route is laid out. The new pavement started at 21st Avenue, and the old path held on longest between Timber Lane and 41st Avenue, the stretch closest to the marina. At a City committee meeting in August, Council Member Katie Miars asked about a crosswalk at 28th Avenue between the Recreation Center and the path. Staff said it would look into the request.
The 700 feet at the marina
The northern end of the route is where the next change comes. Isle of Palms City Council approved marina parking improvements outside Islander 71 Fish House & Bar at its Oct. 27 meeting, by a 9-0 vote, according to the Post and Courier's Moultrie News. The contract went to Whitestone Construction. The project includes:
- Moving the current dumpster enclosure, because raised dumpsters sat too close to overhead power lines
- Dominion Energy moving a power pole on the site, after which an electrical contractor will run new wire to it
- A new bike path, 700 feet long and 6 feet wide, linking the Waterway multi-use path to the public dock
The City Administrator's Oct. 12 memo prices the bike path at $49,950, built as asphalt over a stone base. It is a small share of the marina work. It is also the piece that ties together the two most-used public spots on that end of the island.
The timing depends on a permit. The Post and Courier reported that Islander 71 asked to move construction from a January-to-late-February window to a December start running into the new year. City Administrator Douglas Kerr told council that the City did not yet have the approvals needed to break ground, and said:
"It's a county permit that is being held by a state requirement. But I think they have everything they need. I think it's just a matter of releasing it."
The destination already exists. The Isle of Palms public dock at 50 41st Avenue is free and open daily from sunrise to sunset. The Outpost ship store lists the same address.
The other end of the barrier
The southern stretch has unfinished business of its own. Phase 3 will close two remaining gaps in the barrier, one of them near Fire Station No. 2, and the City is still weighing alternatives. According to the City, more details will come as engineering and design move forward.
November rules on and off the path
November is a good month to use the path, and the City's posted rules cover most of what a walker, cyclist or dog owner runs into on it.
Bikes and e-bikes. Under the City's bicycle guidance, bikes and e-bikes must yield to pedestrians and be walked at pedestrian crossings. At night they need a red rear reflector and a headlight. The same page says South Carolina law requires e-bikes on public paths, sidewalks or roads to carry a permanent label stating horsepower and maximum assisted speed. The City's ban on e-bikes on the beach runs only from Memorial Day to Labor Day. In July, the City's Public Safety Committee approved "No Motorized Vehicles" signs for the Waterway path once it was finished.
Golf carts. The City's golf cart page allows carts on secondary streets posted at 35 mph or less, during daylight, with the required license, permit, registration and insurance. Carts are not allowed on Palm Boulevard, and neither carts nor low-speed vehicles are allowed on the Connector.
Dogs. Off-leash beach season runs from Sept. 15 to March 31, between 4 p.m. and 10 a.m. Under the City's dogs on the beach rules, handlers must carry a leash, keep the dog under voice command and clean up after it. The public dock at the end of the planned link has its own rules. It prohibits unleashed pets and leaving pet waste.
These are summaries of City rules as posted. They are general information, not legal advice, so check the linked City pages for anything that applies to you.
Dates along the route
The Bark Park is on 29th Avenue behind the Recreation Center, one block off the path. The next few weeks:
- Saturday, Nov. 14, 9 to 11 a.m. Free Coffee & Canines at the Bark Park, with acoustic music by Daniel Patrick and coffee from the Recreation Department.
- Thursday, Nov. 19, 10 a.m. The ribbon cutting for the Waterway Boulevard path at Waterway Boulevard and Forest Trail.
- Saturday, Dec. 5, 2 to 7 p.m. The Holiday Street Festival at Front Beach, with the tree lighting at 5:30 p.m., Santa, vendors, children's activities and entertainment.
At the marina end, the new bike link to the public dock goes in once the county permit is released. Islander 71 has asked for that work to begin in December.
Russ Knapp has followed the marsh side of Isle of Palms for many years, from Waterway Boulevard to the marina. If you want to talk through how projects like the Waterway path and the marina work fit into owning on this end of the island, Charleston Beach Life is glad to help. Schedule a Free Consultation.
