Network of parallel road connections along Clements Ferry Rd. in planning stages

The Clements Ferry Road expansion has been the subject of cautious applause and worry for residents of Daniel Island and Cainhoy. Citizens are excited for better roadway access to the area, but some have shown concern that the road expansion, currently in the first of two phases, will not be extensive enough to handle the volume of cars and commercial trucks using the busy thoroughfare.

In anticipation of this, the City of Charleston and Berkeley County are working together to develop a plan for additional roads that would run parallel to Clements Ferry Road. Both governments hope that it will increase the mobility in the area.

“Our goal is to create a network of parallel road connections,” said City of Charleston Planning, Preservation, and Sustainability Department Director Jacob Lindsey. “Over time, it will let residents and business owners safely move around the peninsula, and it will also allow better access to Clements Ferry.”

All talk of a parallel road network is in the pre-planning phase. Lindsey wants a more detailed and official plan to be developed in early 2019, but does not have a conclusive time frame. The Director also stated that everything was dependent on how well the City and County can coordinate a plan that is well funded and executable.

“The next step that needs to happen to be sure that a real road network is built is to work with Berkeley County on an access management plan,” he added.

“For several months Berkeley County and the City of Charleston have discussed access routes parallel to Clements Ferry Road, anticipating that such routes would augment the improvement brought by the widening projects,” said Berkeley County Deputy Supervisor Les Blankenship and Berkeley County Councilman Josh Whitley of Daniel Island, in a joint statement. “The County believes that an expedited corridor study will help make sure that the right decisions are made for the Clements Ferry area and stands ready to partner with the City to make that happen.”

“We have been in discussions with them about putting this plan together, and the idea here would be to coordinate to make sure that the parallel road system doesn’t just stop at City properties, but helps to interconnect the whole peninsula,” said Lindsey.