The Ashley River bicycle bridge has the potential to transform recreation and commuting for thousands of people in West Ashley.
Officially called the Ashley River Crossing, this new bridge is projected to spring off the bank of the Ashley River at the end of the West Ashley Greenway to run parallel with the two vehicular bridges and ultimately land at the intersection of Lockwood Drive and Bee Street.
The project became feasible when U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham helped acquire over $18 million in funding from the federal government at the end of 2019. At that time, the bridge was projected to cost $22 million. The goal was to create not only a fantastic recreational amenity, but also a new commuting option for staff working in the medical district and at the educational institutions on the peninsula. Housing in West Ashley has traditionally been more affordable than housing options downtown, and a safe route for cycling across the river can help alleviate vehicular traffic and overcrowded parking.
Hit by cars four times
This project was presented at the first meeting I attended upon my appointment to the West Ashley Revitalization Commission (WARC) in March 2020. I understand firsthand how important it is for us to have safe bicycle infrastructure because I have been hit by cars four times in the last eight years while riding my bicycle.
The first time was in the South Windermere shopping center parking lot in 2016, then on Calhoun Street in 2018, once on Coming Street in 2019 and most recently on the Wappoo Creek bridge in May 2020. Thankfully, none of my injuries were life-threatening, but others in our community have not been as lucky. A “ghost bike,” or a bicycle painted white that is placed at the site of a fatal collision with a vehicle, can be seen on Lockwood Drive a few blocks from where the new bridge will land on the peninsula. There is also a small memorial to a cyclist killed on the Ashley River side of the T. Allen Legare Bridge. Cyclist deaths on both sides of the river illustrate the critical need for a safe crossing.
Safe crossing needed
The only current route to cross the Ashley River Memorial Bridge without a car is extremely perilous. The sidewalk leading to the bridge on the West Ashley side is frequently overgrown and floods easily. The walkway along the bridge span itself is very narrow and there is no barrier separating cyclists and pedestrians from vehicles that routinely soar over the speed limit. Cyclists traveling in opposite directions cannot pass each other without one or both of them risking falling into the roadway. I think everyone can agree that these conditions are a formula for tragedy.
Progress on the new bridge has been slow since it was presented at WARC back in 2020 due in no small part to the Covid-19 pandemic. Now over three and a half years later, the bridge is projected to cost over $76 million. The fact is construction costs for every project we have been debating these last few years have gone up – Sumar Street, the Perimeter Protection Plan, the West Ashley Bikeway resurfacing. The list goes on. And costs will continue to rise the longer we debate them.
An important step was taken recently when City Council authorized contributing an additional $4 million to the project from hospitality funds. The city is also requesting that the South Carolina Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Transportation contribute matching funds to help bridge the funding gap. We must keep up the momentum with this project and keep our faith in its value to our community.
Kenneth Marolda is a real estate property manager. He is running for the open District 9 seat on Charleston City Council.
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