Construction of new roundabout begins at Seven Farms Drive and Daniel Island Drive

For three years, the busy intersection of Seven Farms Drive and Daniel Island Drive has gotten a fair amount of attention for a proposed roundabout to replace the traffic lights hanging above the two roads. And, although the idea has been met with both excitement and doubt, it will finally come to fruition by the end of the summer.

Construction began in full on Monday, April 22. According to a Berkeley County press release, the project will take an estimated 90 days. Initial work will consist of minor construction activities, meant to slightly alter traffic to provide contractors with room to work. Major construction activities are expected to begin the last week of April. The roundabout’s construction will take place over the summer to not inhibit school traffic.

“I think this is going to be a good thing for Daniel Island,” said County Councilman Josh Whitley, one of the strongest advocates for the roundabout. “It should be a positive, quick project.”

The project is expected to cost $2.4 million, funded by the Berkeley County one-cent tax.

The idea of a roundabout at the intersection that leads to both Bishop England High School and Daniel Island School was given serious consideration in 2016 when Berkeley County Council opted for it over widening the roadways at the crossroads.

The plan has drawn both optimism and cynicism from Daniel Island residents. In a 2016 survey conducted by The Daniel Island News, 45% of respondents were in favor of the idea and 55% were opposed. Another survey a year later found an almost 50-50 split.

Berkeley County Engineering Program Manager Lisa Costner said that safety and efficiency are priorities during the next few months.

“I don’t anticipate any major delays in the traffic,” she stated. “We have a traffic safety plan. There will be a traffic control team out there routing it… we’ll just make sure we’ve got them [motorists] routed through the safest part, the quickest.”

Some lane shifts are anticipated, but Costner asserts that “you’ll never have a closure.”

The program manager described the project “like a shot.”

“[It will be] a little bit painful and over with quick,” Costner joked.

While the prospect of more traffic may cause some anxiety, Lieutenant James Byrne of the Charleston Police Department’s Team 5 on Daniel Island recommends motorists exercise restraint over the next three months.

“My best advice to those folks would be to allow a couple of extra minutes in their travel plans, be patient with the road construction crews, and avoid distractions that can lead to collisions,” he said. “With their ever-changing traffic patterns and signage, construction zones are the last places that anyone should be using cell phones, looking in mirrors, or otherwise letting their attention wander from the road.”

Costner also implores residents that frequent the intersection to be cautious.

“Please just be very diligent and aware of the people, the children, the animals around you,” she said. “Be very conscientious of flaggers and stop and start signs.”