MORNING HEADLINES | The city of Charleston officially broke ground Wednesday on a long-awaiting pedestrian-bike bridge spanning the Ashley River that will connect West Ashley to downtown Charleston’s Medical District.
“I could not be more excited about the Ashley River Crossing,” Charleston City Councilman Ross Appel told the Charleston City Paper. “This is a generational improvement to Charleston’s connectivity. It would not have been possible without excellent collaboration amongst all levels of government. It shows that when we work together, we can accomplish great things.”
Appel represents Charleston’s District 11, which encompasses parts of West Ashley, including the area in which the new bridge will be constructed.
The Ashley River Crossing project has been in the works for almost 15 years. After several changes and design revisions, the $90 million plan is complete, approved and funded, mostly with federal dollars. Project leaders long planned to start construction on the West Ashley side of the bridge and build across to the downtown side at Brittlebank Park, Bee Street and Lockwood Drive.
The project is planned to connect with several other projects on the downtown side, including the Ashley River Walk and the Battery extension, to make the city more connected. Once completed, pedestrians and cyclists will be able to take the West Ashley Greenway to the Ashley River Crossing, then ride around the peninsula using the Battery extension all the way to the Ravenel Bridge. — Skyler Baldwin
In other headlines today:
CP NEWS: Proposed state tax cuts could be bait-and-switch, experts suggest. Experts warn that state GOP leaders’ promise of “historic” tax cuts in the 2025 legislative session could lead to a bait and switch, where tax rates go down but the average South Carolinian sees no real benefit — or possibly even a backdoor tax increase.
Restaurant Week South Carolina starts today. For the next 11 days, hundreds of participating restaurants will offer new menu items, fan favorites, and multi-course menus. More than 60 restaurants in the Charleston area are participating.
State panel selects design, location for Robert Smalls memorial. A bipartisan legislative panel chose a design and location for the future Robert Smalls statue, the first monument to an individual African American on the S.C. Statehouse grounds.
Data breach exposed personal information at S.C. schools. A breach of the PowerSchool system compromised personal information from some South Carolina schools, the S.C. Department of Education said Jan. 8. At this point, it’s unclear how many were affected.
New state resource educates citizens about Lowcountry coast. The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services has launched Coastal Atlas, a resource to give people a better look at the vulnerable parts of the Lowcountry’s coast.
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