The county-owned pier at the end of Old Matthews Lane in the Hallieford area of Mathews is scheduled for replacement in May, and boat owners are being told to remove their boats and any equipment they own from on or around the pier before then. The pier is located on the north shore of Queens Creek.

According to a press release from Mathews County Facilities Manager Tim Tillage, any vessels remaining in the area will be towed or hauled at the owner’s expense, while any crab pots or other personal belongings left there will be disposed of and not replaced.

Tillage said the new pier to be constructed will be the same length as the current one, but the T-head will be half as long as the one now in use. The pier, which was originally built for commercial use, was designed with larger workboats of 40 feet or so in mind, he said. However, such workboats no longer use the pier, he said, and the process for getting a commercial pier with such a long T-head approved would have taken long...