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NewslettersRoad Work Ahead: Construction to begin on three well-traveled roads in 2009
agarrobo@beaufortgazette.com
843-986-5539
(Inaccuracies in the original version of this story were corrected Dec. 3, 2008.)
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Three of Beaufort's busiest traffic arteries -- Boundary Street, Ribaut Road and Lady's Island Drive -- will be the sites of major road projects beginning in 2009.
An updated quarterly report presented to the county council last week said traffic patterns would be affected through 2011.
Most of the projects realign and expand existing roadways. Road upgrades are expected to take about two years to finish once started, according to Dan Dennis, president of the Columbia-based Dennis Corporation that is managing Beaufort County's road projects.
Building a bridge next to the J.E. McTeer Bridge will take about two and a half years, he said.
During the coming year, northern county residents can expect construction in this order:
• A contractor will be selected by early next year for the intersection improvements along Ribaut Road from Lady's Island Drive to Old Shell Road. Construction is slated to be complete by June 30, 2009.Expected cost: $600,000.
• Widening of Lady's Island Drive from Ribaut Road to Sea Island Parkway, which includes a bridge parallel to the McTeer Bridge, is expected to begin in October 2009. Expected cost: $35.5 million.
• Design for widening Savannah Highway from two lanes to four, from S.C. 170 to Parris Island Gateway, is expected to be complete by September 2009 with construction following in October. Expected cost: $7.2 million.
• The redesign for the intersection of Ribaut Road and Boundary Street is scheduled to be complete by the end of next year. The intersection will be converted into a traffic circle, according to current plans. Expected cost: $13.25 million.
• Planning and engineering will continue on potential paths for a bypass to connect U.S. 21 near Grays Hill to Brickyard Point Road. A target date for construction to begin has not been selected. Expected cost of preliminary work: $6 million.
Five other road projects are in various stages in southern Beaufort County.
Dennis said all the projects are moving along quickly.
The improvements are funded with money generated by a local 1-percent sales tax approved by taxpayers in November 2006. The construction costs are also paid with a mix of impact fees, and state and federal money.
The current budget for all 10 countywide road projects is slightly more than $300 million.
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