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Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
UK's secret dolphin pool of horrors as ex-trainer has warning for holidaymakers
David Holroyd is a former top dolphin trainer-turned-whistleblower - who says as long as the unwitting public keep paying to see dolphins in captivity, the more animals will die painful deaths If you're going on holiday this summer to Europe, Japan or the USA, chances are you'll see signs to theme parks containing captive dolphins that have been trained to perform tricks for crowds. Some may even offer 'swim with dolphins' experiences for an extra fee, allowing a small number of people to get into the pool with the dolphins to be towed by their dorsal fin, hug them and play with them. But the former top dolphin trainer in the UK, who walked away from the industry after witnessing some of its horrors, has begged holidaymakers not to give a penny to these "hellholes" - because of the death, violence and illegal practices he's claimed to have seen first-hand. David Holroyd, now 72, was best known by his stage name David Capello when he worked with dolphins as a young man in the 1970s. He was forced to leave his beloved animals behind when he suffered a mental breakdown after witnessing brutal scenes of cruelty towards the dolphins - a decision that has haunted him for the rest of his life. Now an author and campaigner, David wants to lift the lid on the conditions of places like Gulf World in Florida and Marineland Antibes in southern France are really like for the intelligent mammals kept imprisoned in too-small tanks. Gulf World Marine Park in Panama Beach City has been criticised for a litany of faults and, on May 28, lost its fifth dolphin within the last year. While reports are still unconfirmed, the latest death is rumoured to be that of Soleil, a nine-year-old female bottlenose dolphin. The park's Mexico-based parent company, The Dolphin Company, has not responded to The Mirror's request for comment. Britain experienced a dolphin craze in the 1970s, with many animals imported from America to entertain crowds at dolphinaria like Windsor Safari Park, Blackpool Dolphinarium and Brighton Aquarium, all of which have since closed down. It was at the start of the decade that David, then aged 17, answered a newspaper advert calling for a "young person to present dolphins". Out of 350 applicants, he was picked - and was quickly sent to a secret training pool in the small Yorkshire mining village of South Elmsall, which had been converted from a swimming pool to hold wild dolphins. Most of the animals would have come from the 'Killing Cove', Japan's Taiji, where each year hunters would drive hundreds of dolphins towards the shore and pen them in, slaughtering most for meat and capturing the young ones who had not yet left their pod to sell on to dolphinaria around the world. The horrors of Taiji have been widely reported, including in the 2009 documentary The Cove. Many of the dolphins would arrive at South Elmsall traumatised and terrified, having been ripped from their social structures and crammed into tiny crates to be shipped to the UK. Some would refuse to eat - so David and his fellow trainers would have to force-feed them dead fish. "We had a dolphin called Bubbles come in from the US, and when I checked her over it was like looking in a coffin," David recalls. "She was void. She was so bad. I asked the handler who brought her, 'Why did you bring this dolphin?' He said, 'Because she looks good.'" Bubbles had refused to eat throughout her long journey from Florida to the UK because she had gone into shock when she was caught. "She was in shock for the rest of her short and miserable life," says David. "And that dolphin never took a fish willingly. I force-fed her three times a day." The horrific procedure would mean catching the dolphin manually in the pool, tying gags to her upper and lower jaws to wrench open her mouth, and extra handlers pinning her down so that someone could push fish down her throat, "five at a time". "She was trying to starve herself to death," says David sadly. Bubbles failed to thrive in the UK, and suffered mentally from the treatment she'd endured since being captured. David's mentor warned him that Bubbles had been put on suicide watch because she'd started behaving erratically in her holding pen. "Normally she just swam round and round and round, but one day I walked in and she suddenly started to speed up. I thought she was going to ram the wall, so I jumped in to the pool and grabbed her. She did hit the wall, but I'd taken the sting out because I'd got to her first. And I said to my friends, my colleagues, 'I did the right thing. I saved her.' And the look on their faces told me that I hadn't done the right thing at all," he remembers. "I should have let her kill herself because she was in so much torment." Another dolphin called Scouse was packed into the same cargo hold as Bubbles and suffered horribly when he was unloaded in the UK. "The handler tried to reach Scouse, who was laying in a sling inside his transport. Scouse started to thrash around and fight, and then his sling tore and took out both of his eyes. He was instantly blinded," says David. While animal welfare legislation has been tightened in the UK since David's time, dolphins kept in captivity in other countries still face brutal and cruel mistreatment. One now-closed theme park in a country visited by millions of British tourists removed all the teeth from a dolphin who had nipped a child during a swimming with dolphins session, in a case that is still going through the courts. "Of course, the dolphin continually got infection after infection because it was kept in rotten water," says David. "And it died. This happened less than two years ago." In any theme park that features captive dolphins, the water will be treated with chlorine to kill off bacteria. But the very act of bleaching the water causes untold damage to the animals - and one giveaway sign of poor health is the colour of their skin. "In captivity they're almost silver, they look gorgeous," says David. "But that's not their true colour. In the wild they're slate-grey to almost black. That beautiful colouring is due to chlorine bleaching, it bleaches the skin. So if it's doing that on the outside, what do you think it's doing on the inside? It's poison. As soon as they're brought into captivity, it's poison." Because most marine parks have tanks that are too small for their captive dolphins - who in the wild can swim up to 100 miles a day - more chlorine is dumped in their pools to keep the water germ-free. "The higher the chlorine levels, the more it starts to burn," says David. "You can only do that for so long before your dolphins won't perform and will start vomiting. You'll start to see their skin peeling. And once the chlorine dies, the water becomes a toxic mix of spent chlorine, faeces and urine." The only way to save the dolphins at that point is to drain the pool entirely and fill it with clean, fresh water - but as that is expensive, David claims management teams are loathe to let it happen. "I was constantly fighting the management about water," he says. "I used to sneak in at midnight with a friend, move my dolphins to a holding pen and drain their tank. The problem was you could never re-fill a pool quick enough. So when the managers all came in the next morning, they only had half a pool. I was threatened so many times with the sack. But I wouldn't leave my charges in filth-ridden cesspools." But it was David's skill with the dolphins that kept him in a job, he believes. The very first animals he trained, Duchess and Herb'e, became known as the Perfect Pair, because they could move in perfect harmony - even performing a complex somersault routine dubbed the Shadow Ballet at their home in Knowsley Safari Park - which at that time was managed by the BBC naturist Terry Nutkins. "They were phenomenal," says David. "And yet you won't find them in the history books because every one of my dolphins died within six months after I walked." It was, claims David, company policy to destroy the records of any captive dolphin after their death at that time in the UK, which he alleges was to cover up the high rate of casualties. "In my day, a commercial dolphin's lifespan was three to four years. In the wild, they can live 50, 60, even up to 70 years. But in captivity they had the stress of the transports, chlorinated water and so on." On his last day in the job, David witnessed the tragic death of Herb'e - also known as Flippa - the dolphin he had trained from scratch and shared a special connection with. Herb'e and Duchess were being transported from Knowsley, Merseyside, to Rhyl in North Wales on Terry Nutkins' instruction, and were loaded onto canvas slings so they would stay in place during the van journey. But the slings were too small, so the accompanying vet said he would cut them to make more room for the dolphins, despite David's protests. "I had alarm bells ringing... I put my hand into their box and I could see Duchess' blue eye looking at me. I put my hand over her eye as I knew what was going to happen - the vet's scalpel went through the sling and into my hand," David recalls. The vet insisted David go straight to hospital for stitches, and against his better judgement he left his beloved dolphins to get treated. The animals were put outside in a van on a cold November day and caught pneumonia. "Herb'e never recovered," David says starkly. "When I got to Rhyl he was already unloaded into the pool. I remember how he died to this day: I was in the water and I heard people screaming because Herb'e had disappeared below the water. "I dived down to get him and all I could see was Herb'e looking at me sinking tail-first. When dolphins die they disembowel, so I was swimming through all of this muck with bits of him stuck to me as I was going down. He fell very slowly to the bottom of the pool, and it was like having an out-of-body experience, I was watching myself on the bottom of a pool cradling a dead eight-foot dolphin. "I pushed him up to the top, all I could hear was the echo of screams under 13 foot of water. All these hands came and dragged him out of the water. I never saw Herb'e again. I got out of that pool. I walked downstairs to the changing rooms and I stole five log books relating to Herb'e's life, walked to my car and I never set foot on the dolphin stage again." Traumatised by what he'd seen and been part of, David had a mental breakdown and turned down the opportunity to become head trainer of Ramu III, who was then Europe's only captive orca, held by Billy Smart's Circus at Windsor Safari Park. Within six months of his decision to quit his high-flying career, all six of the dolphins David had formed a bond with died. Scouse, the young dolphin who had lost his eyes during his transport, was killed when he ingested a razor blade. Duchess was taken back to Knowsley, where the vet said she died of a broken heart. "It always tortures me because I always said to her I would never leave her, and I did," says David. "I want to put my wrongs right if I can. They all escaped the dolphinarium when they died. I never did. It's haunted me throughout my life." Now David, who co-wrote The Perfect Pair dolphin trilogy with his sister Tracy, campaigns to close down the marine zoos that still keep dolphins and whales captive. "These animals weren't meant to be captive. In the wild they swim and ride waves for hundreds of miles They can't do that in a concrete fishbowl," he says. "If you want to see dolphins or whales, take a boat trip. Go and see them in their natural environment, as they should be seen, in the wild. Because while the public are still paying money to feed this vile industry, this isn't going to stop."
Daily Mirror
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'World's loneliest dolphin' dies alone in tiny tank in abandoned theme park
Honey, a female bottlenose dolphin, spent the last two years of her life in a small pool at the Marine Park Aquarium in Choshi, Japan, before she heartbreakingly died alone The "world's lonelist dolphin" who spent her life in captivity died after spending two years alone in a tiny tank at an abandoned aquarium. Honey, a female bottlenose dolphin, died alone in a small pool at the Marine Park Aquarium in Choshi, Japan, where she had spent the last two years of her life. Her death occurred on March 29, 2020 and was confirmed by the US-based charity, the Dolphin Project. The bottlenose dolphin was captured in Taiji's brutal drive hunts in 2005 before spending the rest of her life in captivity. Honey first made international headlines after it was revealed that she had been abandoned at the aquarium, along with 46 penguins, in January 2018. The facility closed due to a drop in visitors following the 2011 earthquake and the Fukushima nuclear crisis. While an employee continued to feed the animals, they were otherwise left to fend for themselves in unsanitary conditions. Honey had lived a troubling existence. She was taken from the wild in 2005, and the world became familiar with her story after it was featured in the 2009 Oscar-winning documentary The Cove. The Dolphin Project attempted to intervene, reaching out to rescue Honey and the other abandoned animals. They even explored purchasing her from the new owners of the facility in an effort to offer Honey a peaceful retirement. However, by March 2020, it became clear that her health had deteriorated beyond recovery. In the final years of her life, photos and videos showed Honey floating in a small, dirty pool in an abandoned facility. The images of her and other neglected animals, including dust-covered penguins, quickly spread on social media, with calls for their rescue under hashtags like #SaveHoney. Despite the charity's efforts and public outcry, Honey's life ended in isolation, leaving many to question the treatment of marine animals in captivity. Elsewhere, fears have been raised for a number of other dolphins trapped in filthy tanks after their marine park's company went bankrupt. The bottlenose dolphins, who are still performing tricks for crowds, have no choice but to endure human encounters with customers who pay $130 (£97) to swim in their enclosure and hug the mammals. And now campaigners are concerned they are going blind after they were filmed swimming with their eyes "jammed shut" in the murky water. Green algae has started growing in the crumbling tanks at Gulf World, in Florida's Panama City Beach, and inspectors from the US Department of Agriculture scraped nearly six inches of algae off the step of one of the pools. Four of the dolphins have died in mysterious circumstances within six months, including one in March that landed on its head in front of children in a shallow part of the pool.
Al Etihad
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Etihad
Umm Al Emarat Park unites community in record-breaking season, welcoming 400,000 visitors from over 90 nationalities
22 May 2025 16:44 ABU DHABI (WAM)Umm Al Emarat Park has concluded its most impactful season yet welcoming 400,000 visitors from over 90 nationalities between October 2024 to April UAE's Year of Community declaration served as a renewed call for the Park to place togetherness and inclusivity at the heart of its efforts, inspiring a season shaped by community engagement, cross-cultural appreciation and collective season, Umm Al Emarat Park remained committed to its mission of Enrich, Explore, Experience, and Educate. Through diverse programmes and activities, the Park enriched the lives of visitors by offering a welcoming space for relaxation, connection, and wellbeing. Children were encouraged to explore and nurture their curiosity through nature-inspired play areas and interactive installations. Families and individuals alike enjoyed engaging experiences, from cultural events to outdoor wellness sessions, that left lasting Park also continued to play a vital educational role, raising awareness around conservation and the environment through workshops, guided tours and partnerships with sustainability-focused on the success of the season, Rasha Kablawi, official spokesperson for Umm Al Emarat Park, said, 'As we conclude another exciting season at the Park, we want to thank our visitors, staff, partners and community for their continued support and enthusiasm. We remain committed to our vision of creating a vibrant space where families and communities can connect, explore, and enrich their experiences and create moments to treasure. This season's mission to bring people together, encourage cultural exchange and promote sustainable living truly came to life.'She added, 'Together, we continue to nurture an inclusive, vibrant and nature-filled destination for all and look forward to welcoming everyone back next season for more fun and adventure.'The Park also hosted 59 community events and delivered 50 educational packages to over 3,300 students, promoting lifelong learning. The Park Market returned for the fourth consecutive year with 164 vendors offering artisan goods, food trucks and more, attracting families with over 7,000 giveaways and 510 child and family-focused activities – a 59% increase from the Park Market's previous year. Live performances, sports and fitness activities and wellness sessions established the Park Market as a top weekend events like the Forbes 30 under 30 summit, The RAGE, Miami Vibes and The Cove brought a modern, engaging energy to the Park, featuring food trucks, retail experiences, and interactive activities. These vibrant gatherings not only united the community but also highlighted the Park's ongoing support for local Al Emarat Park's 2024-2025 season was powered by valuable partnerships that amplified its community impact. Notable collaborations included the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF), which brought back the beloved Festival in the Park, attracting over 4,000 attendees. The Early Childhood Fair, hosted in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority, welcomed 28,000 visitors, providing a rich platform for learning and Park also worked closely with Emirates Red Crescent during Ramadan, distributing 1,500 community iftar boxes and organising a special iftar at Ramadan Garden for 180 orphans. The Park also partnered with the American Center to host an Autism Awareness event, bringing together more than 150 participants for an engaging and informative day dedicated to fostering understanding and Al Emarat Park continues to serve as a platform for immersive cultural and artistic experiences across Abu Dhabi. This season, the Park supported the inaugural Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennale by hosting acclaimed artist Kabir Mohanty's installation at its iconic Shade House, inviting visitors to reflect on space, sound and sensory interaction in a natural season also saw prestigious brand collaborations including Tiffany & Co. and Roger Vivier, further cementing the Park's position as a premium destination for brand expression and experiential storytelling. These elegant partnerships reflect Umm Al Emarat Park's unique appeal as a vibrant, nature-filled space where global luxury brands can engage meaningfully with diverse part of its ongoing efforts to promote community wellbeing, Umm Al Emarat Park partnered with Celestial Karisma to host a series of wellness sessions designed to promote mindfulness and relaxation in nature. Held at the Park's Evening and Botanical Gardens, the programme featured calming Sound Healing sessions and peaceful Mindful Morning gatherings. These sessions also offered free community events that marked key occasions including Pink October and International Women's Day, creating meaningful moments of reflection and connection and reinforcing Park's role as a sanctuary for rejuvenation and community a champion of sustainable living, Umm Al Emarat Park's embrace of the UAE Environment Vision 2030 saw a season-long commitment to conservation and education. The Park hosted six sustainability workshops, helping to educate visitors about the impact of their actions and encouraging a positive environmental partnership with Tadweer Group, the Park collected 6,411 aluminum cans and plastic bottles through on-site Reverse Vending Machines. The collaboration with A1R to Water led to the installation of five atmospheric water generation machines across iconic park locations, producing over 11,000 litres of water – preventing the use of 22,014 single-use plastic bottles and 1.81 tonnes of carbon Day was marked with gardening workshops and awareness activities that engaged over 50 visitors, while educational programmes and guided tours raised awareness around the importance of conservation. The Park's Animal Barn welcomed new residents, including the Arabian Oryx, and conducted over 250,000 activities designed to foster empathy and curiosity while connecting children gently with its commitment to sustainability and creative expression, the Park, through a collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation, also hosted the Datecrete Bee Hotel, the winning artwork of the 2024 Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award. Crafted from eco-friendly material made of date pits and free from traditional concrete, the installation was designed to attract solitary bees and encourage ecological line with the UAE's core values of openness, respect and peaceful coexistence, Umm Al Emarat Park inaugurated the 'Gardens of Tolerance' and celebrated cultural diversity through a series of events representing various nationalities. The Park hosted community gatherings showcasing Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Ukrainian cultures, featuring music, food and traditional activities to encourage cross-cultural 3,000 attendees experienced the Ramadan Iftar Garden, an open-air communal iftar under the stars, accompanied by traditional oud performances. The Iftar Cannon ceremony at the Park's main entrance served as a symbolic focal point for communal gatherings during Ramadan, further promoting unity and reflection. The Park also held 13 traditional Emirati workshops led by 26 Emirati seniors and artisans, helping to preserve and promote the rich cultural heritage of the UAE. Falconry shows, an important Emirati tradition, were performed 163 times, further deepening cultural appreciation among visitors.
The Star
17-05-2025
- The Star
Getting a dose of vitamin sea at Terengganu's Redang Island
Redang in Terengganu is one of Malaysia's best islands. A slice of paradise where the sand is so white and the waters so clear, you'd think you had stumbled onto the set of a dream sequence. It's the kind of place where reality feels like a polished, sun-soaked scene, a living screensaver where every shade of blue and green is dialled up to perfection. You step off the boat, and the first thing that hits you isn't the postcard view – it's the warmth. Not just the tropical kind that wraps around you like a soft, salty hug, but the warmth of a place that feels alive, unspoiled, and untamed. It's the smell of the sea, the whisper of the breeze through the palm fronds, the occasional chirp of a sunburned tourist marvelling at a turtle making its slow, deliberate way through the shallows. It's the kind of place that makes you want to turn off your phone, kick off your shoes, and just exist for a while. And here's the thing – I've never really understood the obsession with the Maldives. Five hours of flying, then another hour on a loud, World War II-era aircraft piloted by guys in shorts and bare feet – admittedly adventurous – or a few more hours on a bumpy boat ride to get to some atoll where you're literally marooned. Blue ocean, bluer skies. A trip to the islands is always good for the soul. If you're into a drink or two, you're out of luck. The food? Let's just say we pack instant noodles when we go diving in the Maldives. Sure, the diving is incredible – I'll give them that – but we have Redang. Right here. Just a short flight from the Klang Valley to Kuala Terengganu, then another short boat ride from there, and you're in paradise. No coral shards slicing your feet, just soft, powdery sand between your toes. And the food? Well, it's Malaysia. Our ordinary is pretty amazing. Good food is important when one is on holiday, and Mare Nero hits the mark with its flavourful dishes. But with the Cinnamon Group now taking over two restaurants on the island – Mare Nero and The Cove – the food has been elevated to something extraordinary. And look, I'll admit, I might be a little biased here, but if you've dined at Natalina, Nadodi, Bocado, or Aliyaa, you already know what they're capable of. Now that same culinary excellence has arrived in Redang. I have no idea why more of us city folks don't go there more often. The Taaras Beach & Spa Resort sits like a jewel at the heart of this island, a sanctuary of understated luxury that feels more like the home of a friend who happens to have impeccable taste in beachside real estate. It's the kind of place where you wake up to the sound of gentle waves, throw open your balcony doors, and find yourself wondering if you've somehow wandered into the pages of a glossy travel magazine. The sand here is absurdly soft, like powdered sugar sifted through the fingers of a lazy, sunlit afternoon. You walk down to the water, each step a gentle sigh in the warm embrace of the beach, and you have to pinch yourself just to confirm that you're not actually standing in the middle of a high-definition screensaver. The Seatru Turtle Lab programme allows guests to take part in the turtle hatchling release activities. The sea is the kind of clear that makes you think someone turned the saturation up too high – a spectrum of blues and greens that shimmer and dance in the sunlight like a living gemstone. For those seeking adventure, the waters of Redang offer a playground of possibilities. The island boasts over 30 dive sites teeming with vibrant coral reefs and diverse marine life, making it a haven for scuba enthusiasts. I recently completed my Padi Rescue Diver certification here (there are many dive centres on the island), and it's the kind of training that gives you a whole new appreciation for the power and fragility of the ocean. One moment, you're gliding alongside graceful sea turtles, the next, you're caught in a shimmering storm of tiny, darting fish, each movement a flicker of reflected sunlight. A 'bad' day on an island is better than a good day in the office. If diving isn't your thing, there's always the thrill of snorkelling, where you can float above a technicolour reef as parrotfish and angelfish glide beneath you. Or, if you prefer to keep your feet on dry land, you can race across the sands on an ATV or paddle a kayak along the coastline, the sea breeze in your hair and the sun on your back. But even if you never leave the beach, Redang has a way of reminding you just how extraordinary the natural world can be. The Taaras is deeply committed to marine conservation, working with Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) on the Seatru Turtle Lab, a programme that helps protect the island's endangered sea turtles. Guests can take part in the turtle hatchling release programme, a heartwarming experience where you can watch baby turtles make their first unsteady steps into the wild, the waves swallowing their tiny forms as they disappear into the vast blue. And then, there's the food. This is where the island truly flexes its muscles. Mare Nero, for example, brings Michelin-pedigree cuisine to this remote paradise. It's a place where the day's catch arrives on the back of weathered fishing boats, still glistening with sea spray and the last hints of a fading sunrise. The prawns here are the size of a boxer's fist, their flesh so fresh it practically snaps when you bite into it, the taste of the ocean lingering long after the last shell is cracked and the last head is sucked clean. When the day is done, and the sun begins its slow, fiery descent into the South China Sea, there's the promise of a cool shower, a cold drink, and a seat at the edge of infinity, where the horizon blurs into a watercolour wash of pastels and deep blues. It's the kind of place that makes you believe in magic again, where every sunset feels like a miracle, and every morning is a fresh start. Getting to this island paradise is easier than you might think. Berjaya Air's Jojo Flight has direct connections from the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (also known as the Subang SkyPark) in Selangor, and Seletar Airport in Singapore. This means you can skip the hassle and arrive in style, ready to immerse yourself in the island's beauty. The crystal clear waters at Redang island is always inviting. Redang isn't just a destination – it's a reminder that sometimes, the best places aren't the ones you see on the covers of glossy magazines, but the ones you stumble upon by accident, the ones you keep coming back to, year after year, because they feel like a secret that only you and a handful of others are lucky enough to share. So, if you find yourself in need of a little sun, a little salt, and a reminder that paradise still exists, set your compass for Redang. And when you're there, between the coconut-laden siestas and the breathless dives into an underwater wonderland, raise a glass to the good fortune of having found a place where the world still feels wide, wild, and full of wonder. The views expressed here are entirely the writer's own. Abbi Kanthasamy blends his expertise as an entrepreneur with his passion for photography and travel. For more of his work, visit
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bayfront construction wrapping up, business owners ready
For months, construction at the Bayfront Parkway and State Street has caused detours for drivers looking to access Dobbins Landing and various bayfront attractions. But according to PennDOT, that might not be the case for much longer. As we speak, crews are finishing up work in connection with moving utilities underground at the intersection, but soon, the road will reopen. Barriers, traffic cones, detour signs, and heavy machinery on the waterfront portion of State Street and Dobbins Landing continue to mark the intersection's closure to drivers. PennDOT offers update on Bayfront construction PennDOT has been working on and around the intersection since December to advance their multi-year Bayfront Parkway Corridor Project. And while access to Dobbins Landing and other attractions was available, it still caused confusion for some visitors. 'We just reopened The Cove and Rum Runners, and it has affected us somewhat. People call asking how to get down there. Some people make it down, some people don't,' said Tim Sedney, a bayfront business owner. But good news for these business owners from PennDOT, the state street access point to the bay front will reopen in the next few weeks. Honoring Holocaust Remembrance Day PennDOT Press Officer Jill Harry told us that they're hoping to fully open the intersection next week after finishing some paving and traffic signal work. Their estimate is to open on Tuesday, April 29. That's music to the ears of all businesses on the bayfront, including Oliver's Beer Garden, which will be opening for the season Thursday afternoon. 'In the long run, it's going to be great. It's a bit of a pain right now for us and some people, but honestly, it hasn't caused us much problems. We're excited about the project, and I think people will have better access soon to come down for the summer activities down here,' said Nick Scott Jr., Scott Enterprise's vice president and owner. The Bayfront Convention Center has continued to work around detours caused by both the State Street closure and work on the roundabout throughout the winter. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'For certain events, it's definitely been a challenge. I will say that PennDOT and their contractors have been great to work with. When we have large events and high activity, they try to move their work and give us additional parking,' said Ed Snyder, general manager of the Bayfront Convention Center. 'From a traffic standpoint, leaving the convention center can at times be challenging, so we're hoping that the roundabout will help relieve us here at the bayfront.' All of the major bayfront stakeholders we spoke with agreed that this project, when all is said and done, is going to be a game changer for both motorists and pedestrians wanting to frequent the businesses. They're thankful the main access point will be opening ahead of the start of their busy seasons. 'It's a great waterfront community, we all work together, and that's what it's all about,' Sedney said. 'It's going to make it great for everybody, and you're getting in right at the start of the season, and that's what had to happen. If this had gone into Memorial Day weekend, it would have been disastrous for us.' Tips to avoid allergy symptoms amid higher-than-usual pollen count In the meantime, access to all of these locations is still available as it has been since December. Detours are near the Sassafras Street Extension as well as Holland Street to reach Dobbins Landing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
