Cedar Point Boat Launch Construction Underway; Fitness Challenge, Junior Sailing Championship Also Set

Construction has begun on the new Cedar Point Boat Launch in south Mobile County, with crews now working on the east side of Highway 193 across from Cedar Point Pier near Coden. The project is expected to take about a year to complete.

The Mobile County Commission awarded a $6.5 million contract for the coastal access project in May. Officials say the new facility will improve public boating access and enhance safety for the area’s commercial oyster industry.

M.D. Thomas Construction was awarded the contract, with engineering and design work handled by Moffatt & Nichol.

The project is being funded through State of Alabama Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) grants awarded by Gov. Kay Ivey, meaning it will be completed at no cost to Mobile County taxpayers.

“This is another example of Mobile County Commission working alongside the state to improve quality of life for the people of Mobile County,” Mobile County Commissioner Randall Dueitt, who represents District 3, said. “By utilizing offshore natural gas royalties, the Mobile County Commission, Gov. Ivey and [Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources] Commissioner [Chris] Blankenship continue to create endless opportunities for residents and visitors alike, without using local tax dollars. This project not only improves public access to our natural resources but also creates a safer, more functional space for the commercial fishermen who have worked these waters every season for generations.”

Cedar Point Pier will remain open throughout construction, but visitors must park only in the pier’s parking lot at 18250 Dauphin Island Parkway in Coden and stay on the west side of Highway 193. No parking will be allowed on the east side, and public access to the construction site itself will be prohibited. Officials are urging drivers to use caution in the area, noting the added construction traffic comes as the Alabama Department of Transportation continues separate, nearby work on the Dauphin Island Bridge.

Over the next year, crews are expected to build a two-lane boat ramp with finger piers able to accommodate boats up to 30 feet, sheet pile protection at the ramp entrance, a surface parking lot with space for 38 truck-trailers and 25 single-car spaces, and improved site lighting.

Beyond expanding recreational boating access, the new launch will include a dedicated dock and station for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Marine Resources Division to manage oyster harvesting, removing the need for commercial oystermen to report and offload their catch along the shoulder of Dauphin Island Parkway. Officials say that change is expected to ease traffic congestion and improve safety for both fishing crews and motorists.

Chris Blankenship, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said the project fills a need along Mobile County’s coastal corridor and builds on other GOMESA- and Deepwater Horizon-funded investments in the area, including Cedar Point Pier, Bayfront Park and the Dauphin Island Causeway Shoreline Restoration Project.

“Cedar Point Boat Launch is another strong example of how the State of Alabama and Mobile County Commission are using GOMESA funds to create lasting public benefits,” Blankenship said. “Partnerships like this help protect quality of life, improve public access to the water and support the future growth of coastal Alabama.”

How GOMESA funding works

The Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, passed by Congress in 2006, directs a share of federal revenue from offshore oil and natural gas leases in the Gulf to Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. The law limits how states can spend that money to purposes such as coastal protection and restoration, conservation, and mitigation of the effects of offshore energy production, which is why it can pay for coastal access projects like the Cedar Point launch.

Fit at the Fort set for Spanish Fort

Separately, in Baldwin County, the inaugural “Fit at the Fort” health and fitness challenge is scheduled for Saturday at 30000 Town Center Avenue in Spanish Fort.

The event is presented by BankPlus in partnership with the City of Spanish Fort.

“Pickleball Fitness inspired us to bring this one-of-a-kind event to the Alabama Gulf Coast,” said Mike Thompson, director of the Gulf Coast Paddle & Racket Battle in Daphne. “Anyone can participate in this event. They can also pick and choose which challenges they want to compete in.”

The event, running from 7 a.m. to noon, will include yoga on the courts, a fastest USA Pickleball serve challenge, fitness challenges, cold plunges and sauna, a 1-mile run, nutrition tents, live music, vendors from local fitness and wellness fields, and a physical therapy tent. Registration costs $25, and participants are asked to bring a yoga mat, swimsuit, towel, sunscreen and comfortable workout clothing.

More information is available at battleatthefort.com or by calling 251-802-3322.

Fairhope hosts Junior Lipton Championship

Also in Baldwin County, the Gulf Yachting Association’s 81st annual Junior Lipton Championship will be hosted by the Fairhope Yacht Club on Saturday and Sunday.

The regatta is the premier competition among Gulf Yachting Association sailors 18 and younger. Mobile Bay also hosted last year’s race, with Mobile Yacht Club serving as host. Fairhope Yacht Club won the title with two wins, two runners-up finishes and a third-place finish. “Our Juniors won last year and are preparing to defend their title,” said Jennifer Stanley, the regatta chair.

Competitors from Gulf Yachting Association clubs race aboard the Viper 640, a two- to four-person sailboat light enough to be towed behind a car and simple enough to be rigged and sailed in under 30 minutes. GYA members voted in 2015 to adopt the Viper 640 as a successor to the Flying Scots fleet.

The Gulf Yachting Association started the youth regatta in 1941 in honor of Sir Thomas Lipton, the tea magnate and yachtsman who competed in the America’s Cup, giving junior sailors their own version of the senior Lipton Challenge Cup. The event was created to foster sportsmanship and competition among young Gulf Coast sailors, and over the decades it has featured boat classes including Fish, Flying Scots and Viper 640s.

Related coverage from South AL News

• Boggy Point Boat Launch Gets Nearly $3 Million for First Overhaul in 20 Years, but Construction Is More Than a Year Out
• Improved Delta Port Boat Launch in Coden Set to Reopen Friday
• Marsh, Breakwaters and a Boat Ramp: Three Mobile County Coastal Projects Move Toward the Finish
• Cedar Point Pier Reopens After Tropical Storm Bertha Closure