A look at island infrastructure projects ahead

Infrastructure needs are always apparent within the City of Charleston, even on the roads and bridges that piece together pristine Daniel Island. Work has been done recently and more is coming down the pipeline.
 
Construction began on April 12 at the intersection of Island Park Drive and Cattle Street. The area is notorious for vehicles driving at high speeds because there is no stop sign or other traffic control measure. 
 
Improvements at the junction are now complete and it has since been converted into an all-way stop with signage and crosswalks. The idea for this type of installation was initiated by families living in the area.
 
“I so appreciate when residents make us aware of issues happening in their neighborhoods and work with us on feasible solutions,” Charleston City Councilwoman Marie Delcioppo said. “... the Baxleys, Provences, and Christmases were instrumental in moving this project forward and getting it done so quickly and deserve all the credit.”  
 
In addition, at the city’s Public Works & Utilities Committee and Ways & Means Committee meetings April 12-13, the Beresford Creek Bridge Replacement Design Contract was up for approval. The contract with JMT Inc. in the amount of $439,455.13 included surveys, traffic analysis, subsurface utility engineering and coordination, geotechnical investigation, environmental permitting, roadway design, bridge hydraulic analysis and structural design, plan development, and construction phase support engineering for the replacement of the road bridge. 
 
Councilman Harry Griffin made the motion for approval and it was revived with unanimity. Griffin noted that he was happy to see this project coming to fruition since the efforts originally championed by former council member Gary White.    
 
“It’s not a very big bridge but it has a lot of traffic that goes through it,” Griffin said. “It’s a major thoroughfare for traffic on Daniel Island ... That bridge has been in disrepair for many, many years and this is going to be a big step in the right direction for our great constituents out there on Daniel Island.”  
 
The project will also be beneficial for walkers and bicyclists. The funding source will be the city’s 2018 General Fund Reserves, which holds approximately $1.7 million. 
 
Furthermore, the Berkeley County Library on Daniel Island Drive is in the preliminary stages of expanding its parking lot. The project has two different plans: one that calls for 65 parking spaces and the other encompasses 110 parking spaces.
 
“There’s two different plans. One plan that meets just the library’s needs and then there’s a bigger plan that really helps the school district more so than just our needs,” Berkeley County Supervisor Johnny Cribb said.
 
The budget for the library’s parking lot is set between $50,000 to $75,000. The work is going to be done in-house by the county and plans are expected to be proposed to the city in a couple months.
 
In July, the city’s Traffic & Transportation Department will be on Daniel Island to complete various work orders related to issues regarding street markings and signage. Each month, the department rotates to a different part of the city and July is designated for Daniel Island. 
 
“The importance of communication amongst city, county, state, and federal cannot be emphasized enough, and I thank all of our partners for their tireless work in helping us realize these projects which not only increase public safety but also our quality of life,” Delcioppo said. 
 
Later this year, the City of Charleston has received approval to resurface the majority of Seven Farms Drive. There will be communication with the residents when the paving is slated to begin. 
 
“I want to thank everyone for letting us know about these issues so we can get them resolved in a timely fashion,” Delcioppo added.  
 

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
Fax Number: 843-856-8555

 

Breaking News Alerts

To sign up for breaking news email alerts, Click on the email address below and put "email alerts" in the subject line: sdetar@thedanielislandnews.com

Comment Here