A large crowd of over 300 people attended the Road Projects and Safety Concerns forum at St. John’s High School Monday night, November 17th, sponsored by the Johns Island Council and Concerned Citizens of the Sea Island. There were presentations from law enforcement, fire department, and emergency response officials, but the largest amount of time and public interest was directed toward planned road improvement projects on Johns Island.
Representatives of the South Carolina DOT described improvements being planned in the near future for Main Road, Maybank Highway, Bohicket Road, and River Road.
Main Road
SCDOT has installed new drainage pipe under Main Road near its intersection with Route 17 Savannah Highway. It is also raising the grade of the Main Road centerline by 4 to 5 inches, purportedly helping to mitigate the chances of future flooding. DOT representatives described these minor improvements as an “intermediate solution” until a more robust and comprehensive fix to the intersection is constructed. All paving associated with this project will be accomplished before or shortly after Thanksgiving.
Burden Creek and Hoopstick Bridges (River and Bohicket Roads)
Both projects are being let on a single contract in December. The Burden Creek bridge project will completely close River Road at that location and will require a detour for 65 days, from June 11 through August 14, 2016.
The Hoopstick Bridge replacement near the intersection of Plowground Road and Bohicket Road will commence on September 16th and will continue for seven months. The new bridge will be constructed with Bohicket Road remaining open.
Maybank Highway
Phase I of the project was recently completed with the addition of 4 ft-wide bicycle and pedestrian lanes to the section between River Road and Main Road.
Phase 2 will involve the addition of one more westbound lane onto Johns Island from the Stono River bridge to the intersection with River Road. However, an additional outbound lane off the Island will not be added to the existing alignment because the rights-of-way required to do so would remove trees that are part of the “protected canopy” of Fenwick Plantation. Design exceptions have been obtained from SCDOT that would allow construction to remove only four or less trees. A Corps of Engineers permit regarding wetlands impacts is pending. Construction is estimated to be under way in 6 to 8 months.
The northern leg of the “pitchfork” will depart from Maybank on the Johns Island side of the Stono River bridge and veer to the north, in back of the shopping center containing the Food Lion, and eventually intersect with River Road north of the existing intersection with Maybank. The purpose of this two-lane road will be to allow northbound River Road traffic to bypass the existing intersection completely. This project is expected to commence within the next year.
The southern leg of the pitchfork will depart Maybank at the same location and connect to River Road south of the existing intersection, serving a similar purpose to its northern twin. The starting date for this project is estimated to be 2 years out.
No mention was made at the meeting of any additional lanes being planned at this time for Maybank Highway between River and Main Roads, on Bohicket Road, nor on River Road.
—-Tidelines Editor