Multiuse path for walkers, bikers, golf carts coming to Clements Ferry Road

After years of planning and delays, the construction and continuation of a multiuse sidewalk along Clements Ferry Road is moving forward.

 

Berkeley County officials said the project is in its final design phase and is expected to break ground in mid-2025.

 

The 10-foot-wide recreational path will be parallel to Clements Ferry Road and will span 3.8 miles from Jack Primus Road to Forrest Drive just north of the I-526 Westbound interchange. The path will be accessible for walkers, bikers, and golf cart users along the busy corridor. A similar sidewalk from Jack Primus Road to Highway 41 completed construction earlier this year.

 

The path is part of Berkeley County’s One-Cent Sales Tax Program, a voter-approved initiative to fund large-scale infrastructure improvements. The path was originally slated to be included in the Phase 1 road widening project of Clements Ferry Road back in 2020.

 

According to Berkeley County Councilman Jarrod Brooks, “The multiuse path was pulled from the road widening project due to utility conflicts and moved forward as a separate project.”

 

Additional delays followed due to objections raised by neighborhood residents living along the corridor during the design phase. With those hurdles behind them, county officials say construction is back on track.

 

“The project is in the final design phase and expected to go to construction later this year,” Brooks said. “At the end of 2024, the county received $1.25 million towards construction costs from CHATS (the Charleston Area Transportation Study) through the Complete Streets program. To ensure this project remains eligible for these funds, the county is coordinating with the (department of transportation) to get their approvals on the project while obtaining necessary permits and acquiring the right-of-way for the project. Once final approvals, permits, and right-of-way are obtained, the county will be ready to advertise the construction of the project.”

 

Estimated at a cost of $3.5 million, the path will feature a shared-use trail separated from traffic lanes, ADA-compliant street ramps, and a pedestrian bridge.

 

Brooks said safety and long-term connectivity are at the heart of the design.

 

“This roadside path is a continuation of the existing path that begins at Jack Primus and will expand toward 526,” he said. “The expansion will safely connect the Clements Ferry neighborhoods with a path wide enough to accommodate walkers, bikers, and golf carts to all the amenities coming to Point Hope.”

 

Residents along Clements Ferry Road say the project is long overdue.

 

Sue Grant, a longtime resident who has watched the corridor grow over the past decade, said, “We’ve been waiting a long time for something like this to make walking or biking actually feel safe, especially on this side of the ‘Ferry.’ It felt like the other side got their path first, and now the busier side is finally catching up. This will make a real difference for families like mine.”

 

Isaac Owens, a newer resident, said he’s relieved to see safer connections coming for his “very active” family. “For my kids who like to bike between neighborhoods, this gives me real peace of mind.”

 

The county plans on moving the project through permitting and right-of-way acquisition in the coming months, with construction expected to start by mid-2025. Once underway, the project will take about a year to complete.