Road closure between St. Thomas Island Drive, DI Drive until Friday

The heavily traveled road connecting Daniel Island Drive and St. Thomas Island Drive will be closed to traffic during the evening and overnight hours at the Nowell Creek intersection until Friday, Aug. 29, as crews begin repairs on a broken water main.

The Charleston Water System said the road closure, near the the former Blackbaud headquarters, would start Monday, Aug. 25, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. nightly, until Friday, Aug. 29, as crews work on the faulty pipe. 

This means no access in either direction at night until crews finish the job, according to Mike Saia, Charleston Water System's public information officer.

"A 30-inch water main sprung a leak," Saia said, adding the road closure was necessary as "it's a complicated project that will require heavy equipment."

Saia said detour signs "in all directions" will be posted along both St. Thomas Island Drive and Daniel Island Drive to direct drivers to another route.

The closure is reminiscent of the 11-month shutdown of the same road from 2023 to 2024 when crews rebuilt the Beresford Creek bridge near the former Blackbaud Headquarters. Detour signs then directed drivers to use I-526 as a get-around to reach Clements Ferry Road and Daniel Island.

Traffic will again be diverted to I-526.

Saia said this week's pipe repair has nothing to do with last year's bridge construction or any preliminary work for the new walking bridge to be built across Nowell Creek next year.

"We believe (the break) is the result of saltwater corrosion and time and exposure," he said.

Water service will not be impacted, and Saia said he hopes crews can complete the repairs as soon as possible.