The city of Charleston this week announced it has received $10 million to help pay for the second and final phase of a pump station project to curb flooding woes on the upper part of the peninsula.
“When complete, this drainage project will make a real difference for our citizens,” Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg said in a statement. “I want to thank the state for providing the critical support we need to get construction underway.”
The South Carolina Infrastructure and Economic Development Fund’s grant will go directly to the continued work on the King/Huger Street Drainage Project. The second phase involves installing a pump station to take the water from the newly improved collection system and pump it into the Ashley River through Newmarket Creek — about 70,000 gallons per minute to be exact. The added installation of a backup generator will ensure the pump station can continue operating during severe storm events that cause power outages.
“The intersection of King and Huger streets in downtown Charleston is ranked as one of the most flood-prone areas in all of Charleston County according to Charleston County’s Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan,” the 2022 grant application reads. “The King Street Pump Station provides long-term, permanent risk reduction measures as opposed to simply supporting emergency protective measures.”
The intersection is prone to flooding during any type of rain or storm, sometimes causing the roads to completely close. Between 2016 and 2022, the roads were closed nearly 40 times due to flooding, according to a report by the city of Charleston. Traffic is redirected along a 1.4-mile detour route that can add up to 60 minutes to a trip due to the resulting congestion, impeding emergency vehicles, medical care, law enforcement and more.
The project is located in a historically disadvantaged and densely populated neighborhood with approximately 2,000 residents, 70 businesses, affordable housing complexes, schools, churches, grocery stores, gas stations and a fully operational historic fire station. The King Street Pump Station will be located at 900 King St. on vacant frontage within Enston Homes, an affordable housing complex owned by the Charleston Housing Authority.
Phase One of the project involved improving the surface collection system in the affected area. This phase was completed in early 2022, and the city applied for the recently awarded grant in September 2022. The total estimated remaining project cost is $14,587,175, leaving the city on the hook for matching funds of $4.6 million.
The city will also incorporate green infrastructure and landscaping improvements and utilize architecturally attractive building materials along the project corridor so as to make the project an amenity for the surrounding neighborhood.
The project is set to go out to bid later this year. Construction is expected to be completed in 2025, according to a press release.
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