UPDATED: 11 a.m. Sept. 6 | Charleston County council on Sept. 5 unanimously awarded a contract for a project to improve traffic at the perennially clogged intersection of U.S. Highway 17 and Main Road is on the docket at a Sept. 5 committee meeting of Charleston County Council. But its inflated price tag — estimates have tripled since 2020 — have council members concerned.
In July 2020, Segment A of the Main and 17 Flyover Project was estimated to cost about $111 million, when the State Transportation Bank provided about $40 million in funding for the project. The price since then, however, appears to have ballooned to a whopping $354 million, according to an item on tonight’s council meeting agenda. Once funding is available, it could take between three and four years before the flyover is finished.
“I’m not surprised by this at all,” said freshman Charleston County Councilman Joe Boykin, whose district covers Johns Island. “Look at the Mark Clark project, for example: We went from $420 million to now $2.2 billion. Roads and bridges in general have skyrocketed in cost. This isn’t our first rodeo.
“The days of building million-dollar roads are probably behind us,” he added. “The days of billion-dollar roads are probably here, unfortunately, to stay.”
While the project wasn’t included in a list of efforts under a controversial 2024 referendum to extend a half-cent sales tax, which is set to appear on the November ballot after a July decision by the council, funds to pay for the flyover could be pulled from money raised by the new referendum — if it passes.
A budget item for the Thursday night meeting includes the appropriation $260 million from the previous sales tax referendum as well as authorizing reimbursement from “future Transportation Sales Tax Bonds for expeditiousness of funds.”
“This project should have been paid out of the last referendum,” said councilman Larry Kobrovsky, whose district covers the Isle of Palms and parts of Mount Pleasant. “It’s something that is long-needed. But the issue is that they’re taking money out of the 2024 sales tax, so I have some concerns.”
Boykin, however, said while the window is open for the council to reallocate funding, no decision has been made.
“We have to have the flexibility to adapt and adjust,” he said
Boykin also said that the passage of the referendum could provide funding for several traffic projects that would benefit the Sea Islands, including the flyover.
“We have tried really hard not to raise property taxes, and we’ve been good at it,” he said. “We’ve been able to offset a lot of these costs. … But sooner or later, the math isn’t going to work anymore. We need to not put the burden on property owners, but spread it out over all consumers.”
Traffic relief, finally
Despite the costly price, the flyover is expected to bring big relief to traffic congestion on the Sea Islands.
“We only have two points of ingress and egress for four islands — the Stono Bridge that takes you to James Island and the Limehouse Bridge that takes you to West Ashley,” Boykin said. “Those are two choke points, and even when they are functioning properly, the backups are astounding on both. All it takes is one incident, and it’s a disaster for everyone.”
The flyover project would, among other things, install a roundabout at the intersection of Main, Chisholm and River roads, replacing the existing traffic signal, Boykin said. It would also widen the road on the Limehouse Bridge to four full lanes and add a new interstate-style interchange between James and Johns islands that wouldn’t require traffic to stop.
“During rush hour times, the intersection becomes a choke point and is one of the most dangerous intersections in Charleston County,” said Emma Berry, communities and transportation project manager for the Coastal Conservation League. “The construction of the flyover is a necessary project for safety and overall better traffic flow in this area. While the increase in cost is not ideal, the benefits of the project to traffic and safety far outweigh the higher cost.”
Kobrovsky agreed.
“It’s the single most important thing we can do right now to alleviate traffic on the Sea Islands,” he said. “It is truly a vital project.”
Boykin said the improvements are focused around ensuring that traffic flow is not disrupted at any intersection along the corridor.
“It is going to open up the taps,” he said. “Traffic will be able to free flow all the way to Bees Ferry.”
Kobrovsky agreed.
“It’s the single most important thing we can do right now to alleviate traffic on the Sea Islands,” he said. “It is truly a vital project.”
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