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Updated May 6, 2024
MAYBANK HIGHWAY: GREATER MAYBANK-MAIN-BOHICKET INTERSECTION
See Main Road Corridor Segment C
MAYBANK HIGHWAY: BETWEEN MAIN/BOHICKET ROADS AND RIVER ROAD
Current Status
There are no plans to improve Maybank Highway. Turn lanes will be added by developers as required by SCDOT. Parallel roads to Maybank may be added as parcels are developed.
The proposed 2024 half-cent sales tax currently includes $126M in possible funding for improvements. However, this project may not survive the cut to be included on the list of referendum projects.
Needed Unfunded Improvements
Background
Both the City and County envisioned this section of Maybank Highway to be developed using a "town and country" concept. This approach includes:
The town and country concept and the commercial nodes can be viewed in the Johns Island Community Plan while the proposed new roads can be viewed in the Johns Island Maybank Highway Corridor Overlay Zoning District.
The approach the City and County are taking is to incrementally add the new roads as the parcels are developed. These roads would be built and funded by the developers. A key difference is that the City is requiring that these roads be built while the City provides an incentive for them to be built by providing a density bonus.
The County's website provides a history of this project.
MAYBANK HIGHWAY: GREATER MAYBANK HIGHWAY-RIVER ROAD INTERSECTION
Current Status
In March 2024, the "Northern Pitchfork" opened to traffic. It is part of a network of road improvement (a second off-island lane on Maybank, building the Southern Pitchfork, realigning Cane Slash Road, etc.). Until this network is completed, the Northern Pitchfork has limited effectivity.
On April 9th, County Council voted to spend $1.8M to "begin preliminary design work on the widening component on Maybank Highway from River Road to the Stono River Bridge".
The County says funding, estimated at $52M, will have to wait on a future half-cent sales tax. This tax would not provide funds until at least 2027, which is when the 2006 tax is expected to sunset. Therefore, a very optimistic estimate to complete this effort is no sooner than 2030.
Needed Unfunded Improvements
Once the above are completed:
Background
The County's website provides a history of this project.
MAYBANK HIGHWAY: BETWEEN RIVER ROAD AND FOLLY ROAD
Current Status
No improvements planned.
Needed Unfunded Improvements
Background
At the Maybank-Riverland intersection, lack of dedicated left turn lanes impede traffic flow and result in multiple rear-end collisions. Changes to this intersection have been highly resisted by the residents in the Riverland Terrance community.
At the Maybank-Folly Road intersection, the traffic signal timing highly favors traffic on Folly Road coming from James Island over traffic on Maybank Highway coming from Johns Island. This results in long delays for the Johns Island traffic and short delays for James Island traffic. Since all the traffic signals on Wesley Drive/Folly Road between SC-61 and Harbor View Road act as a coordinated system, this entire stretch would have to be resynchronized. The cost was estimated to be $200k but the funds were not available.
MAIN ROAD CORRIDOR SEGMENT A (MAIN AND 17 FLYOVER)
Current Status
The County expects to go out for bid for this project in the third quarter of 2024. Additionally, the permit application to the Corps of Engineers was submitted and a decision is anticipated in 2024. It is expected to take 3 to 3-1/2 years to complete the project. That would put completion in late 2027 or early 2028.
Background
Segment A was included in the list of projects for the 2016 half-cent sales tax referendum. In 2018, County Council approved funding for the project.
MAIN ROAD CORRIDOR SEGMENT B (MAIN ROAD FROM THE CHISOLM-RIVER INTERSECTION TO BROWNSWOOD ROAD)
Current Status
The trees located on Main Road at the inside of the curve of the right-of-way at Mary Ann Point Road are scheduled to be cut down the week of May 6th. This will provide a better sightline for drivers. None of these trees are grand trees.
Main Road from Mary Ann Point Road to Maybank Highway (1.64 miles) will be resurfaced by SCDOT as part of their 2024 Pavement Improvement Program The top 4-6” of pavement will be replaced. The work is expected to start in mid/late May and should take about three weeks to complete. You can find a map of this and all SCDOT 2024 payment improvement programs here.
Needed Unfunded Improvements
Background
Although Segment B was included in the list of projects in the 2016 half-cent sales tax referendum, the County has not provided funds (including in the proposed 2024 tax) for significant improvements to this section of Main Road. There only some minor improvements planned.
In May 2023, the County released the results of their safety audit of the Maybank-Mary Ann Point intersection.
MAIN ROAD CORRIDOR SEGMENT C (BOHICKET ROAD)
Current Status
There will be a public information meeting for this project on May 14th. At this meeting the County will present their recommended preferred alternative. The comment period will then be open until June 14th.
Construction is expected to start in the 2nd quarter of 2026 and take about 3 years to complete. That would put completion in mid-2029.
Background
Segment C was included in the list of projects for the 2016 half-cent sales tax referendum. In 2018, County Council approved funding for the project.
UPPER RIVER ROAD: MAIN ROAD TO MAYBANK HIGHWAY
Current Status
The County's resurfacing of River Road from Main Road to Maybank Highway is ongoing. The effort started in March and contractually can take up to four months to complete. However, at the current pace they may complete it by the end of May.
The new elementary school on Upper River Road is expected to be completed by Aug 2025. Construction will include the installation on a roundabout on River Road in front of the school and the addition of turn lanes at the River-Brownswood intersection.
There are no plans to widen the shoulders on upper River Road where it seems at least weekly a vehicle overturns.
Needed Unfunded Improvements
Background
Upper River Road often has single-vehicle collisions involving turnovers. Anecdotally, this is due to vehicles (often heavy trucks or vehicles with trailers) catching their tires in the shoulder ruts and subsequently losing control.
Speeding appears to also be a factor in many of the accidents. This points to the need for speed calming road designs such as roundabouts. Note that there have been discussions of installing a roundabout at the River-Brownswood intersection, but the County has not identified a source of money for this $6M project.
If the Mark Clark Extension is completed, a large amount of traffic will enter/exit at the upper River Road access ramp. BCDCOG data show River Road will have a failing level of service by 2040, which is at best a few years after the Mark Clark Extension is completed.
LOWER RIVER ROAD: MAYBANK HWY TO BETSY KERRISON-BOHICKET
Current Status
No improvements planned.
Needed Unfunded Improvements
Background
Lower River Road continues to have collisions, often single vehicle collisions. Speeding appears to be a factor in many of these accidents. This points to the need for speed calming road designs such as roundabouts.
Brownswood Road
Berryhill and Walter Roads
Southwick Road
Current Status
For this project, SCDOT said that they are waiting for the County to show that they have funding for the project before they proceed with the next steps. The County plans to do this with a 2024 half-cent sales tax referendum.
SCDOT must hold a public hearing before they can obtain final environmental impact statement (EIS) approval. They plan to hold that hearing in January 2025. That would then allow them to obtain their record of decision (ROD) from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). After that they will need to obtain permits from the Corp of Engineers and the Coast Guard.
SCDOT said they cannot spend the $75M the County and the State Infrastructure Bank (SIB) each gave them to acquire right-of-way (ROW) properties until they have the ROD. Note that the public had been led to believe there was a time urgency to provide the funds for ROW acquisitions.
Background
What is now known as the Mark Clark Extension goes back to the 1960's with the Belt Freeways and the uproar that project caused. Through the years Charleston County Council has both rejected it and approved it.
The latest SCDOT cost estimate is $2.2B from their Dec 2, 2022 letter. They have estimated that Phase 1 would cost about twice as much as Phase 2.
A map of the project can be found here.
Needed structural changes include:
COUNTY TAXES: TRANSPORTATION SALES TAX
Current Status
On April 18th, Charleston County staff presented to Council the results of the survey for the Third Transportation Sales Tax (TST3). The presentation can be viewed here starting at 23:30 and the questions/comments of the Councilmembers starting at 37:10. The presentation can be read here.
If voters approve this sales tax in 2024 (or 2026), the County cannot collect funds from it until 2027. That is when the the maximum amount of funds are expected to be collected from it. Note that
Background
According to South Carolina Code §4-37-30, a county can impose either tolls for "highways, roads, streets, and bridges, and other transportation-related projects" or a sales tax of up to 1% for "highways, roads, streets, bridges, mass transit systems, greenbelts, and other transportation-related projects facilities including, but not limited to, drainage facilities relating to the highways, roads, streets, bridges, and other transportation-related projects". It's tolls or sales tax, not both.
Charleston County currently has two half-cent transportation sales taxes. One from 2004/2006 ($1.3B) and one from 2016 ($2.1B). The 2006 sales tax is expected to sunset in 2027 when the maximum amount of funds would be collected.
The State sales tax is 6%. Counties can add on additional taxes for a total of up to 9%. Charleston County has a 9% sales tax which includes 1% each for a local option sales tax (LOST), Education Capital Improvement Tax (ECI) , and Transportation Sales Tax (TTS). Of the 46 counties in South Carolina, only three have the maximum 9% sales tax.
The South Carolina Sales and Use Tax Manual is a good source of additional information.
CITY TAXES
The City has discussed implementing a Johns Island Municipal Improvement District (MID) or its Act 236 equivalent.
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