Marisol boat ramp construction starts, finishing by summer 2026

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The city of South Padre Island on Wednesday hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the Marisol (Laguna Madre) Boat Ramp.

The project, designed in partnership with LJA Engineering and awarded to Bryant Industrial Services for construction, is expected to be completed in 240 days.

"As we all know, there are a ton of people from the Valley, from Texas, and from outside that come down to South Padre Island and fish in the Laguna Madre," said Mayor Patrick McNulty. "We're happy to have another amenity to allow that group of people to be able to put their boats in the water and enjoy the wonderful outdoor activities that South Padre Island has to offer."

The city of South Padre Island received grant funding totaling $2,409,915 from the Texas Parks & Wildlife Boating Access Grant and the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Direct Component program. This funding covers approximately 75% of the total project cost of $3,201,103, with the city funding the remaining 25%.

The new Marisol Boat Ramp will feature amenities such as an ADA accessible loading dock, a fish cleaning station, and parking spaces for trucks and trailers. The construction is anticipated to be completed by summer 2026.

The Marisol Boat Ramp project aims to enhance boating access to the Lower Laguna Madre, providing significant improvements for local and visiting boaters once completed.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KVEO. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KVEO staff before being published.