When will the cones come down? On Wilmington and Whitemarsh islands this October, that question has a different answer depending on which cones you mean.
Some of the fall's disruptions have a date on the county calendar, with a crew working seven days a week to hit it. Others have a reopening listed as "until further notice," a contractor paying the state for every day it runs late, or a permanent fix programmed for the 2030s. If you're planning a route, a walk or a dump run this month, it helps to know which kind of deadline each one runs on.
| What changed | Who's responsible | What sets the end | Status in the latest public notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walthour Road closure, Oemler Loop to Rivermist Lane | Chatham County Engineering | A calendar date | Extended to October 31, 2026 |
| Islands Expressway bridge over the Wilmington River | Georgia DOT, Prince Contracting | A daily penalty | Revised deadline of August 26, 2026 missed; fines running |
| McQueen's Trail at Fort Pulaski Road and US-80 | Chatham County | None given | Closed since August 3, 2026, until further notice |
| Wilmington Island Drop-Off Center hours | Chatham County Public Works | A new weekly schedule | New hours since August 31, 2026 |
Walthour Road Has a Date, and a Crew Working to Meet It
The Walthour Road closure is the shortest-lived detour on the list, and the only one with a fixed end date. Chatham County closed the stretch between Oemler Loop and Rivermist Lane on June 3, 2026, for a slope stabilization project. The work covers repairing and stabilizing the road's shoulders, resurfacing it and adding a new sidewalk.
The road was supposed to reopen sooner. In its closure extension notice, the county says the contractor hit "unanticipated site conditions" that held up the sheet pile wall and drainage structures. The closure now runs to October 31, 2026, and the contractor has committed to working seven days a week until the road reopens.
The two county pages disagree by a day. The engineering project page gives an anticipated opening of October 30, and the later closure notice says October 31. Either way, the detour is set to end before November. Chatham County Engineering takes questions at (912) 652-7800.
The Bridge Has a Daily Fine Instead of a Finish Date
The Islands Expressway bridge works the other way. There's no reopening date to circle, just a price on every day the work runs late.
According to WTOC's September 15 report, Georgia DOT signed a revised agreement with Prince Contracting, LLC that set an August 26, 2026 completion date. The project missed it, so the state began charging liquidated damages of $12,500 a day. By the day of the report, 20 days past the deadline, the fines had reached $250,000. WTOC said they would hit $1 million if the work isn't finished by December 4.
GDOT told WTOC that the current agreement stands and the fines will continue until the bridge is done. Prince does have the right to submit justification for a time extension, and a granted extension would move the completion date. That reporting doesn't say whether an extension has been requested or granted.
The current deadline is already a revised one. The project replaces the old drawbridge between downtown Savannah and Whitemarsh, Wilmington, Talahi and Tybee islands. It first targeted a November 2021 opening at an estimated cost of $62 million. In early 2020, crews found excessive settlement in the east end embankment, which nearly halted work and forced an extensive redesign.
GDOT's next deadline was March 31, 2024. When that passed, the state charged $5,000 a day starting April 1, 2024. Those fines topped $1.9 million by late April, then were waived when the two sides agreed on the late-August 2026 target. This fall's daily rate is two and a half times the 2024 rate.
The half of the bridge that's finished has been in use since 2022, and it ended the delays from boat openings. WTOC notes that hundreds of cones still line the approaches on and off it. For island drivers, the daily routine is the same as it's been for four years. The only change is that the delay now costs the contractor money every day.
McQueen's Trail Has No Date, and the Permanent Fix Is Years Away
McQueen's Trail is the most open-ended item on the list. The marsh-flanked path at Fort Pulaski Road and US-80 closed on Monday, August 3, 2026, for a county restoration project to repair damage from Hurricanes Debby and Helene. The county's notice gives the end of the closure only as "until further notice." It says updates will come as work progresses and asks people to stay out of the trail area in the meantime.
The repair will reopen the existing trail. Better access to it depends on two state bridge projects in the next decade. GDOT's Bull River bridge project would replace and widen the US-80 bridge and add a shared-use path, pedestrian improvements and a connection to McQueen's Trail. Its dashboard shows construction at 0 percent, right-of-way authorization on February 15, 2027, and a construction program year of 2034.
The Lazaretto Creek bridge project farther east also lists a bridge replacement and widening with a shared-use path. It shows construction at 0 percent, right-of-way authorization on April 19, 2027, and a construction program year of 2032.
A program year is GDOT's schedule, not a promise. The Islands Expressway bridge shows how far a state bridge timeline can slip. These are still the only published dates for a walking and biking connection along the US-80 corridor out toward Tybee.
The US-80 Changes That Run on Weekly Hours
Not every fall change on the islands is a closure. Two are about hours, and both have already taken effect.
Since August 31, 2026, the Wilmington Island Drop-Off Center at 7022 Concord Road has kept these hours:
- Tuesday through Saturday: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Sunday: noon to 5 p.m.
- Monday: closed
The county's announcement describes the schedule as part of an effort to improve service and efficiency. Public Works takes questions at 912-652-9840. If your yard-cleanup routine used to include a Monday trip, that day is now off the table.
At the other end of the clock, Bandana Burger has moved into the former Five Guys space on US-80. William and A'Nia LaFlower opened their first location on Habersham Street in 2023. When WTOC toured the Whitemarsh site on September 17, they said they planned to open within the month and would bring late-night dining to the island. The restaurant's location page now lists 4690 US-80, online ordering, and hours of 9 a.m. to 5 a.m. Neither source gives an exact opening day, so check the page before a late drive over.
The dining room has the "rainbow rafters," a bandana-covered ceiling designed by Savannah College of Art and Design graduates that matches the Habersham Street original. Savannah Upcycle made the sign with the "Good in Every Hood" slogan, and every burger comes wrapped in a keepsake bandana. The owners told WTOC they would announce an opening-day free burger giveaway on social media, and that proceeds from special events often go to local nonprofits.
One October Event With Its Own Date Question
The marina's fall calendar has the same date confusion as Walthour Road. Wilderness Southeast, known as WiSE, is holding its 5th Annual Family Fun Day & Paddle Battle for Fish Gotta Swim at Wilmington Island Marina, 36 Wilmington Island Road, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The lineup includes kayak and paddleboard races, family boat rides, children's activities, food and live music.
The Savannah Master Calendar listing gives Saturday, October 17, 2026 in its date field, but its description says October 10. October 10 is today, so check with WiSE before you load the kayak.
The rest of the month follows the same sorting. Walthour Road and the drop-off center are on fixed county schedules. The bridge runs on a fine that grows each day. McQueen's Trail has no reopening date, and the trail connection on the Bull River bridge is programmed for 2034.
If you're thinking about listing in 2027 and want to know how buyers are viewing these island construction timelines, Oliver Group can walk you through it. Start with a home valuation for your Wilmington or Whitemarsh Island address.
