Traffic Briefs - March 5, 2020
SCDOT to Hold Public Information Meetings for Proposed I-526 Corridor
The South Carolina Department of Transportation will host public information meetings in March regarding the I-526 Lowcountry Corridor (I-526 LCC) EAST Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study in Berkeley and Charleston counties.
The I-526 LCC EAST study area extends from Virginia Avenue in North Charleston to approximately U.S. 17 in Mount Pleasant. It is one of South Carolina’s most congested interstate corridors and includes the Don Holt Bridge and the James B. Edwards Bridge.
The PEL study will identify existing and projected transportation issues within the I-526 corridor through public and stakeholder engagement. The results of the study will be used to establish a vision for the corridor that will guide future transportation solutions.
A Mount Pleasant area meeting will be held Tuesday, March 24, from 5-7 p.m. at R.L. Jones Center, 391 Egypt Road, Mount Pleasant. A North Charleston meeting will be held Thursday, March 26, from 5-7 p.m. at Felix C. Davis Community Center, 4800 Park Circle, North Charleston.
Each meeting will consist of an open house during which members of the public may review project information, submit feedback, and ask questions. No formal presentation will be made.
Daniel Island Roundabout Project Wins Engineering Award
Berkeley County and Infrastructure Consulting & Engineering, PLLC (ICE) earned the Engineering Excellence Award for the Daniel Island roundabout project from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACED) in the Category I, Special Projects division.
Engineering Excellence is an annual competition sponsored by ACEC and its member organizations. A panel of judges awarded projects across South Carolina demonstrating the highest degree of merit and ingenuity. Project scores were based on the following criteria: original or innovative application of new or existing techniques; future value to engineering profession and perception by the public; social, economic and sustainable design considerations; complexity; and exceeding owner/client needs.
The Daniel Island roundabout, located at the intersection of Daniel Island Drive and Seven Farms Drive, was completed in August 2019 a month ahead of schedule. The project also came in nearly $900,000 under budget. ICE served as the Construction Management and Construction, Engineering and Inspection firm for the project, which was part of the county’s 2014 One-Cent Sales Tax Program. The county contracts with ICE to manage the program.
The project involved replacing the four-way intersection with a single-lane roundabout. Engineers worked to maintain traffic flow equal to that of the previous intersection; retain adequate access to nearby schools, churches, and businesses; provide safe bike and pedestrian accessibility; and complete construction in just 90 days.
“This well-deserved award is a testament to the strong working relationship between Berkeley County and ICE and appropriately highlights the successful completion of a vital infrastructure project that has had an immediate traffic and safety improvement for Daniel Island,” said Berkeley County Councilman Josh Whitley. “I am beyond grateful to the professionals that contributed to a project that has been overwhelmingly and positively received by the community and know this improvement will have a generational impact.”