Carriage Tours In James Island, SC

JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - Construction is underway for a $5.8 million project on Johns Island.

The Barberry Woods Restoration Project aims to reduce flooding in Barberry Woods and The Cottages.

Flooding often blocks the single entryway in the Barberry Woods cutting off emergency services.

“That road into the community can be closed for almost a week. We need to have an access point into the neighborhood. We need the residents to be able to get out, we need emergency services to be able to get in,” City of Charleston Director of Stormwater Management Matthew Fountain said.

The project is expected to reduce flooding to less than eight hours during a 100-year storm event.

The City of Charleston estimates that 3,437 residents and 1,687 housing units will benefit from these stormwater improvements.

In a statement, Mayor William Cogswell said “Johns Island has long needed flooding relief in this area, and we’re grateful for SCOR’s partnership in making this project a reality. Once completed, it will significantly improve the quality of life for residents.”

$4.9M is funded by SCOR’s ARPA Stormwater Infrastructure Program. Director of Stormwater Management Matthew Fountain says part of the reason they got that funding was because it’s a green infrastructure project.

“Rather than taking the project, clearing all the trees and basically just building a big pond or something with large pipes and having a road on top of it that we can use for access or a pump station building, this goes back basically as a forest of wetlands,” Fountain said.

They’ll clear the property to dig out a lot of the land to build a low lying wetland area with a meandering stream through it.

The project will also include wetland storage cells, maintenance berms, a walkway and a bridge.

“Between trees and shrubs we’re planting more than 13 thousand individual planting over and then again we’ll preserve that in perpetuity so it will continue to expand out like you would see in any healthy ecological system over the years,” Fountain said.

Fountain said while they are in the tree clearing phase now, when it’s done, he thinks it will be a huge amenity for the community because of the walkway and greenspace it will provide.

Construction is estimated to take 10 months.

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Charleston County is set to begin construction on a project that will alleviate traffic for West Ashley and Johns Island residents, officials told residents at the first quarterly update meeting for the road improvements March 13.

The project encompasses a number of improvements to help with traffic including construction of flyovers at the intersection of Main Road and U.S. Highway 17, an interchange at Main Road and Highway 17 for drivers who want to avoid the intersection, a bridge over CSX Railroad, a roundabout at the intersection of Main, Chisholm and River roads, and a widening of Main Road from River and Chisholm roads to the interchange ramps.

The improvements were originally part of a bigger project for Main Road, from Bees Ferry Road to Betsy Kerrison Parkway. The project was then split into three segments, with this segment first estimated to cost $130 million in 2020.

This now $354 million project — the largest infrastructure project in Charleston County history — is funded by the 2016 half-cent transportation sales tax.

Herb Nimz, county project manager, said during the county's quarterly project meeting on March 13 that they're still in the permitting process, but have worked on securing right-of-way acquisition. They're also currently doing test piles, or assessing the strength and stability of the columns that will support the interchange and flyovers. Plans are in the works to relocate utilities, like Charleston Water System and Dominion Energy, before construction starts in May, he said.

Most of the road work on Main Road and Highway 17 will take place at night, but residents should still expect some backup during construction, Nimz said.

"It's going to get worse before it gets better," Nimz said.

Residents in West Ashley and on Johns Island who live around the roads slated for changes have mixed feelings.

Jacob Andrew, a Johns Island resident, said he's excited about how the road project will help with traffic.

"It’s going to work," he said. "They could get it 50 percent right, and it would be better than the way it is now."

However, he worries about how traffic volume will only continue to increase around where he lives off Main Road as more people continue to move to the Lowcountry.

Census data shows the population of Johns Island's specifically surged from roughly 15,100 people in 2010 to almost 22,900 in 2021. More than 25,000 people are estimated to live on the island today.

The county will most likely be back to the drawing board in 10 years to come up with another solution, Andrew said.

Andrew is also unhappy the county cut plans for a bike and pedestrian bridge adjacent to the Limehouse Bridge that was previously included in the project. Nimz said he's met with the state Department of Transportation and is working to add at least a sidewalk to the bridge.

West Ashley resident Jamie Jacobs is looking forward to the changes, but worries congestion may remain as Main Road and Highway 17 are highly trafficked roads for people coming from West Ashley, Ravenel and Johns Island.

Ultimately, she said if the flyovers and interchange allow for commuters to no longer wait at the red light at the intersection of Main Road and Highway 17 for an hour, residents will be much happier.

Officials expect the project to be complete late September 2028.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Charleston County leaders are taking another step towards a major road project, and they want community members to be a part of it.

The Main Road Segment A project is designed to improve areas of US-17 and Main Road. The goal is to improve congestion buildup and provide safer and more efficient travel for drivers in the area.

Project leaders are currently analyzing the marsh area South of 17 and East of Main Road and pile testing to make sure that everything is ready for construction in the next few months.

Project leaders are currently working to obtain permitting and right of way acquisition. The right of way acquisition process is a huge part of this and could continue into the summer. They have submitted 60% of their design plans to the regulatory agencies necessary and are continuing to work with the railroads and local utility companies to get the actual construction started. Utility relocation will be one of the first steps of the construction process.

Herbert Nimz is the Engineering Division Manager for Charleston County Public Works. He says that they hope to get all permits and begin construction by this May. This is a four-year project that they expect to complete before 2029.

Charleston County awarded a $354,000,000 construction contract for this project in September, so they are now taking the final steps before work begins.

The main goals of this segment of the project are to improve congestion at the intersection of US-17 and Main Road. Nimz says that they also hope to increase the number of cars that can travel along Main Road and improve safety so drivers can easily and efficiently access commercial and residential properties.

In addition to the major road work, there are also some cyclist and pedestrian elements included, as well as planned stormwater drainage improvements.

Nimz says that this project was necessary, as this is a constantly congested area.

“Anyone that’s driven on 17 turning onto Johns Island obviously has been stuck in that congestion. It does not matter what time of day,” he says. “It’s a very popular project as far as public input, but this is one of two ways on and off of Johns Island. It’s especially important during emergency evacuations. And it’s also necessary for people trying to get from Johns Island into Charleston. So we’re really excited.”

Nimz believes the completion of this project will provide a great benefit to all community members in the area. He says it will affect both motorized and non-motorized road users in a very positive way.

“I think people will not only be driving in a less congested area, but there is a multi-use path component. So, it’s a multimodal project,” he says. “It’s connecting Bees Ferry to the West Ashley Greenway. I think that brings a lot of benefit to the community just to get out and about, but primarily it’s a reduction in traffic congestion.”

Charleston County leaders will host quarterly public meetings on this project to be as transparent as possible with the community. The first quarterly public meeting is set to take place Thursday from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at St. John’s High School, located at 1518 Main Road on Johns Island.

At this meeting, they will provide the latest updates on the project. Nimz says they want to share all of the behind scenes work that they have been doing, as well as provide community members the opportunity to ask any questions they may have about the project. Nimz says he understands that it may not look like they have done much yet, and they have received a lot of questions from community members about the project, but he wants to reassure everyone that they have done a lot of work that cannot be seen. He hopes at this meeting he can inform the public on all the behind the scenes work that has been done and provide some reassurance that this project is a priority.

Click here for more information about the Main Road Segment A project.

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CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - People on James Island will soon see trucks and teams working on upgrades to Woodland Shores Road and Maybank Highway.

The $3.6 million project will bring about a mile of sidewalks down Woodland Shores Road and Maybank Highway, improving safety and connectivity for bikers and walkers.

The project will also install a mid-block crossing on Maybank Highway with a high visibility flashing crosswalk signal. A raised median going in on Maybank Highway will have fencing to prevent illegal and unsafe crossing anywhere but the crosswalk.

As of March, utility relocation is already happening. Shovels will hit the ground in the coming week. All work will happen during the day, but outside of peak traffic hours. Project leaders say they do not plan any full road closures, just lane closures.

The county, city and the South Carolina Department of Transportation partnered on plans and funding for the project and people in the area.

Council members recall the tragedies that have happened in the area and say these improvements are essential.

“There are a lot of engaged participants in this community, which is wonderful because we get that feedback and we know exactly what residents are anticipating and what they expect and they have been extremely supportive of the project,” county councilwoman Jenny Honeycutt says.

“A lot more needs to get done; this is just a great example of something that is getting going and we hope to keep this trend going,” Charleston City Councilman Jim McBride says.

Project managers estimate total work will take about 18 months before it is complete.

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James Island just got a whole lot tastier with a new DQ restaurant coming to town.

American Dairy Queen Corporation (ADQ), a leader in treats and food, announced a new DQ Restaurant which held its grand opening on March 7. Conveniently located off the James Island Expressway at 345 Folly Road, the restaurant will be owned by Dream Cone LLC.

“We chose to franchise with Dairy Queen because of our admiration for such a longstanding, reputable brand and the joy it brings to people of all ages, especially kids,” said a representative from Dream Cone LLC in a statement. “Everyone has a happy memory of sharing an ice cream with family and friends, and we want to help create those same moments for residents in the Charleston area. We believe this restaurant will be a gathering place for our community, where people can come together to enjoy tasty treats and make lasting memories.”

This is Dream Cone’s first restaurant in South Carolina. The group looks forward to supporting the local MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital through Dairy Queen’s partnership with the Children’s Miracle Network Charity, as well as sponsoring local youth and baseball teams in the area.

The restaurant will serve its food and treats, including Signature Stackburgers, Chicken Strip Baskets and DQ soft serve in cones, sundaes, shakes, and the signature Blizzard® Treat, among many more menu items.

The new DQ restaurant features a modern design with large booths, community tables and chairs, a designated mobile order pick-up counter, drive-thru lanes, an outdoor patio and fireplace, and an iconic 14-foot DQ red spoon.

The restaurant is open from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., Sunday through Saturday, with the drive-thru open until midnight. The James Island location is the first DQ restaurant owned by Dream Cone LLC.