I-77 bridge work to shut down Catawba River access in Tega Cay, Fort Mill, Rock Hill
Drivers won’t be the only ones inconvenienced by coming road work on the I-77 bridge over the Catawba River.
Add paddlers to the list.
On Wednesday the City of Tega Cay announced closures of seven river access points in Fort Mill, Rock Hill, York County and Tega Cay during construction. The decision was reached with the cities and town, plus Duke Energy which manages the river and lake system.
The move impacts all public access points from Lake Wylie Dam to the River Park access including:
▪ Fort Mill River Access (Tega Cay)
▪ Baxter Neighborhood Access (Baxter)
▪ Mason’s Bend Access (Fort Mill)
▪ Riverwalk Access (Rock Hill)
▪ Westminster Park Access (Rock Hill)
▪ Camp Canaan Access (Rock Hill)
▪ River Park Access (Rock Hill)
The sites will remain closed for the duration of bridge work, set for May 6-24.
The bridge work will repair the southbound deck.
Northbound and southbound traffic will squeeze into what typically is the northbound lanes, halving capacity in both directions. A temporary concrete median will be in place to separate traffic. On ramps at Sutton Road in Fort Mill and Cherry/Celanese roads in Rock Hill heading toward the bridge also will be closed.
Paddling the Catawba has become a popular pastime in recent years. In warmer months starting each spring, paddlers can be seen from the Tega Cay to Rock Hill shores of the river. Several paddling outfitters have popped up along the river, as has a city-run program in Rock Hill. Just this spring a new business on Lake Wylie started to outfit paddlers there.
Some spots have become so crowded law enforcement has had to ticket people who blocked narrow roads near put-in sites along the river.
The area between Lake Wylie Dam and Landsford Canal State Park in Chester County is considered the Catawba River Blueway by the multi-county, bi-state Carolina Thread Trail.
In its work toward a federal license to continue operating hydro stations on the Catawba dating back more than a decade now, Duke began regular and listed recreational water flows from the dam to promote recreation.
Tega Cay and Rock Hill in particular have worked together on city rules related to parking at put-in sites. Many paddlers who put in at Tega Cay paddle or float until they reach Rock Hill. That path would take them directly under the I-77 bridge, along with the U.S. 21 bridge likely to be the busiest detour route during construction.
