In May, The Daniel Island News ran a short notice from the Daniel Island Property Owners' Association. It said the small trail bridge behind Credit One Stadium, which crosses a shallow wetland, "needed repairs and safety updates" and would stay closed "until the repairs are completed."
Five months later the wording changed. In its October 19 update, the POA wrote that "Repairs weren't a practical fix," and said the bridge will be replaced entirely.
That change explains this fall on the island's trails. Two pieces of Daniel Island's walking network are closed right now, and their timelines are set in completely different places. The River Landing Drive boardwalk is a DITA project with a start date, an estimated length and a weather caveat. The bridge behind the tennis center crosses tidal marsh, so once repair gave way to replacement, the reopening date now depends on a state permit review.
Where the bridge stands, in order
The POA's two notices place the span slightly differently. The May notice says "behind Credit One Stadium." The October update says "behind the tennis center." LTP Daniel Island and the stadium share the 161 Seven Farms Drive campus, and both notices describe a walk bridge on the waterfront trail there. Here is how the timeline reads from the POA's own updates:
- By May 18, 2026: The bridge was already closed after an engineering inspection. The plan at that point was repairs and safety updates.
- Between May and October: The plan changed from repair to a full replacement.
- As of October 19: Design and engineering for the new bridge were complete. Surveyors had marked the state's critical line, and engineers were submitting the permit application and full design to SCDES.
- At the same time: The replacement was going out to bid, so a contractor can be ready when the permit is approved.
- Next: Permit approval, contractor selection, and then a published timeline. The POA has said it will not give a reopening date before those two steps are done.
When this post goes live, the bridge will have been closed for at least five months, and the most recent official word is that no reopening date exists yet.
Why the marsh sets the clock
Because the bridge crosses a tidal area, the work falls under the state's coastal critical area rules. The critical line is the state's boundary for tidal waters and marsh, and it has to be surveyed and marked before the state will even review a permit application.
Ownership adds a second layer. The City of Charleston owns the bridge and DITA maintains it. So the City signed the permit application as owner and designated the POA's Director of Operations, Tony Elder, to act as applicant and manage the project through construction.
All of that explains why "no firm date" is the honest answer for now. The design is finished and the bid is out. The remaining wait is the state's review, which the POA describes as being "in the State's hands." Running the bid and the permit side by side is how the POA is trying to shorten the gap between approval and construction.
Until then, the request is simple. Stay off the bridge and respect the closure signs. Questions go to Tony Elder at [email protected] or 843-412-2260.
The boardwalk runs on a different calendar
The Daniel Island Town Association is rebuilding the boardwalk along River Landing Drive between Fairchild Drive and Seven Farms Drive, with funding from the Daniel Island Community Fund. The POA's September 29 notice describes it as a stretch that carries foot traffic, bikes, strollers and dog walks every day. It also says years of heavy use and coastal weather have worn it down.
The section closed Monday, October 5, for about six weeks. Counting six weeks from that Monday lands on the week of November 16. The POA tied that timeline to the weather and said it would post an update if anything changed. Mid-November is the planned finish, and the weather can move it. As of the October 19 bridge update, no new boardwalk notice had been posted.
Here are the two closures side by side:
| River Landing Drive boardwalk | Walk bridge behind the tennis center | |
|---|---|---|
| Section | Between Fairchild Drive and Seven Farms Drive | Over a shallow tidal wetland near LTP Daniel Island and Credit One Stadium |
| Closed since | Monday, October 5, 2026 | Before May 18, 2026 |
| Work | Revitalization by DITA, funded by the Daniel Island Community Fund | Full replacement; City-owned, DITA-maintained |
| What sets the reopening | Construction pace and weather | SCDES permit approval, then contractor schedule |
| Official estimate | About six weeks, weather permitting | None yet |
For the boardwalk, the POA asks walkers to stay behind the barriers and not go around them. Active construction zones can hide hazards that aren't visible from the path.
Getting around both this November
None of this shuts down the trail system. The POA describes the island's network as more than 25 miles through maritime forest, marsh edges, waterfront, neighborhoods and downtown. Its interactive parks and trails map lists named routes, including the Island Park Loop, Ralston Creek Loop, Smythe To Townsend Loop, Watroo Point Loop, Grove Park Loop and Edgefield Loop.
The closed bridge sits on the riverfront stretch behind the tennis center. The POA's Riverfront Loop listing describes that stretch as winding along the Wando River and passing under the Wando bridge toward Governors Park. The loop is 1.78 miles of unpaved gravel and sand with wooden boardwalks, starting from a trailhead at 1 River Landing Drive. It also carries some of the island's history: the cemetery, the Pritchard Shipyard marker and Fairbank Plantation.
In May, the POA's notice in The Daniel Island News said trail access between Waterfront Park and Governors Park stayed open by the route behind the tennis courts and Commemorative Park from Seven Farms Drive. It also said the only affected section was the bridge, when heading toward the cemetery and stadium from Commemorative Park. That was the guidance in May. The October update doesn't repeat it, so check the signs on site before you plan a loop around it.
If the boardwalk work finishes close to schedule, its reopening should fall right before one of the island's busier trail mornings. The Daniel Island Happy Hour 3 Mile Turkey Trot is set for Saturday, November 21, 2026, at 10 a.m. It starts and finishes at the Credit One gravel lot at 161 Seven Farms Drive, runs on Daniel Island trails and ends with a social gathering at LIDI Restaurant. The first 50 participants who bring items from ECCO's Most Needed list get a T-shirt.
The weekend before, the Daniel Island Holiday Market returns on Saturday, November 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the DI Recreation Center, 160 Fairbanks Drive. Admission and parking are free, and more than 40 local vendors will be there. The raffle benefits Random Acts of Kindness of the Lowcountry.
What to watch for next
For the boardwalk, the next milestone is a reopening notice from the POA, expected around mid-November if the weather cooperates. For the bridge, there are two milestones before any date: SCDES approving the permit and DITA choosing a contractor. The POA has said it will publish a real timeline once both are done. Both updates should appear on the POA's announcements page, and that is the place to check before planning a riverfront walk that depends on that bridge.
I'll be watching for both notices. If you're curious how projects like these are planned and paid for on Daniel Island, from DITA maintenance to Community Fund projects, I'm happy to walk you through what I know. Reach out to Michele Moriarty anytime. Let's Connect.
