Beaufort County celebrates new downtown connection on Spanish Moss Trail; county share reported near $450,000

Beaufort County officials gathered to celebrate the opening of the newest downtown connection of the Spanish Moss Trail, and county leaders highlighted how the project was funded and what comes next.

Alice Howard, chair of the Beaufort County Council, said the trail segment was funded with money from the 2018 transportation tax referendum, $50,000 from the Friends of the Spanish Moss Trail, and community development block grant funds. "Our share was over almost $450,000," Howard said, and she stated that the whole project cost $707,000.

Howard described the downtown connection as a link between the county’s two urban centers and said another project phase expected to be complete by late March would connect the trail all the way to Downtown Port Royal. She also noted family-friendly elements at the site, including a "park on a trail" with activities to help children learn about the environment and book giveaways from the Friends of the Library.

The county said the full Spanish Moss Trail ribbon-cutting video is available on Beaufort County TV’s YouTube channel.