Lowcountry Lowline breaks ground downtown after decade of planning

For years, it lived mostly in conversations, renderings, and, for supporters of this linear park, hope.  

On Monday, Dec. 15, beneath the concrete ribs of Interstate 26 and in the biting winter air, the Lowcountry Lowline finally became a reality. 

City officials gathered in downtown Charleston to break ground on Phase One of the long-anticipated Lowline, a pedestrian and bicycle corridor, designed to stitch the downtown peninsula back together.  

“Today, we break ground on a project that’s more than a decade in the making, built for the community by the community,” said Courtney Olson, executive director of Friends of the Lowline. “The Lowline will continue to reconnect neighborhoods, expand access to public green space, create nature-based solutions to flooding, support active transportation, and act as a new backbone of community life on the peninsula.” 

Phase One begins with a 1.6-mile stretch running from downtown's Mount Pleasant Street to Line Street, along an old railroad right-of-way beneath I-26. Construction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2027. When finished, the Lowline will feature two separate paths – a 10-foot pedestrian walkway and a 12-foot bike trail – divided by landscaped medians, pocket parks and gathering spaces. 

“For many years, this project has represented a shared community vision,” Charleston Mayor William Cogswell said. “It’s transforming an underused corridor into a vibrant public space that does reconnect neighborhoods, expand access to green space and supports safe, reliable mobility for residents and visitors alike. The Lowline is more than a park and a path. It is infrastructure that works for people.” 

First proposed in 2015, the Lowline will eventually stretch nearly two miles along the spine of the peninsula, connecting Mount Pleasant Street to Marion Square through a mix of alleyways, green corridors and parks.  

The route will be divided into three areas: the North Central Corridor beneath the interstate, featuring pocket parks and a neighborhood market; the Parks District, anchored by Newmarket Creek and Lowline Park; and the Urban Core, weaving pathways between downtown buildings. 

Funding for Phase One is in place. City council recently approved a $6 million contract with Edifice Construction as part of the $15 million committed through tax increment financing. Friends of the Lowline announced a $3 million contribution at the ceremony, including a $2.5 million gift from the Speedwall Foundation honoring Tom Bradford, a founding board chair and cycling advocate. 

“The Lowline was sort of (Tom’s) brainchild,” said Katie Zimmerman, executive director of Charleston Moves. “It could be turned into something that could unite the community.” 

Beyond recreation, the Lowline is designed to capture floodwater through rain gardens, clean runoff, and reclaim land long divided by highways. 

“When I-26 was constructed… those were neighborhoods,” said Jason Kronsberg, the city’s section chief for parks, facilities, and capital projects. “This will give us the opportunity to reknit those neighborhoods.” 

For outgoing City Councilman Robert Mitchell, whose district includes much of Phase One, the moment was monumental. 

“This is going to be something great for the city of Charleston,” Mitchell said. “A lot of people have been thinking it wasn’t going to get done, but I told them, ‘It’s going to happen.’”