Preliminary study of Sea Islands Greenway for Johns Island to be shown

Image by Flickr user Wayan Vota

Just as the debate about taking I-526 across James and Johns islands spins back into action, so does the debate about increasing capacity on Johns Island in the River and Bohicket roads area.

The results of the Sea Islands Greenway preliminary concept study will be presented to Charleston County Council on Thursday, August 12.

The greenway would stretch across Johns Island from the area of the Maybank Highway and River Road intersection to Betsy Kerrison Parkway. The proposed road concept envisions a rural roadway, buffered on both sides and protected from development. The buffering concept would be similar to the Colonial Parkway in Virginia.

The meeting comes during Council’s 4:15 p.m. finance committee meeting, at Council Chambers in the Lonnie Hamilton, III Public Services Building (4045 Bridge View Drive in North Charleston.) The  meeting is open to the public, but it will also stream live and be available for download at www.charlestoncounty.org and will air on Comcast channel 60 on Friday, August 13, at 7 p.m. 

Background: 

  • In 2001, Charleston County Council authorized a study to gather public input on ways to relieve traffic concerns on Johns Island. Maybank Highway, Bohicket Road and River Road are the boundaries of the area that was studied.
  • In 2006, Charleston County Council authorized an update to the original 2001 study. The update was funded by the County’s Transportation Sales Tax.
  • Charleston County Council held a public meeting on Thursday, June 19, 2008, to gather input on the idea of building a road, then known as the Sea Islands Parkway, across Johns Island, and whether or not Council should pursue asking the S.C. Department of Transportation to begin considering a limited-access toll road option. Council chose to re-evaluate this concept in relation to comprehensive traffic solutions for Johns Island.
  • On Sept. 1, 2009, County Council approved the following directives:
    -To perform an alignment study for the Sea Islands Greenway
    - To prepare a Request for Proposal (RFP) for potential public-private financing and construction of the Greenway
    - To move forward with the Maybank Highway improvements, based upon the “pitchfork” concept at the intersection of Maybank Highway and River Road
    - To study and seek funding for improvements at seven Johns Island Intersections
    - To study the widening of Bohicket and Main Roads as an alternative to the Sea Islands Greenway project.
    - The link to the Charleston County Council minutes for the Sept. 1, 2009 action is: http://www.charlestoncounty.org/departments/Council/Minutes/2009/09_01_09.pdf