Charleston County RoadWise News Release
MEDIA
CONTACT
Name: Jennie
Davis, Charleston County Public Information Officer
Phone: 843.958.4012
Email:
jdavis@charlestoncounty.org
Release Number: 2950
Release
Date: December 4, 2008
See project information online:
http://www.ccroadwise.org/johnnie_dodds.html
Public
Hearing on Johnnie Dodds Boulevard Project
Charleston County moves forward on one of
the Transportation Sales Tax initial bond referendum projects as approved in
November of 2004.
Charleston
County Government is holding a public hearing from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec.
17, at the Mount Pleasant Municipal Complex Gym (100 Ann Edwards Lane in Mount
Pleasant) to share information regarding environmental impacts with the public
and gather comments on the environmental assessment for the
Johnnie Dodds Boulevard project.
The
project will be funded by
Transportation Half-Cent Sales Tax, which is managed by the Charleston
County RoadWise Program.
The first
public meeting for the Johnnie Dodds Boulevard project was held on July 19,
2007. At the July 19 meeting, project staff provided information and gathered
public comments on plans to improve Johnnie Dodds Boulevard. Since that meeting,
conceptual plans have been prepared and have been approved by Mount Pleasant
Town Council, Charleston County Council, and the South Carolina Department of
Transportation.
The Dec. 17 meeting format will be as follows:
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6-6:30 p.m.: Anyone
who wishes to verbally comment at the public hearing must sign up between 6 and
6:30 p.m. when entering the public hearing. Each comment will be limited to two
minutes and may not be transferred.
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From 6 - 7 p.m., the hearing
format will be informal. Large aerial displays of the entire project will be
available for viewing, and project team members will be present to discuss the
project one-on-one with attendees.
-
At 7 p.m.,
project representatives will make a brief, formal presentation about the
project purpose and need, schedule and potential impacts to the community
and environment.
-
Immediately
following the presentation at 7 p.m., citizens will have the opportunity to
make formal, verbal comments regarding the proposed project.
The informal portion of the
public hearing will continue during this time.
The
following will be available to the public during the Dec. 17 hearing:
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Maps
and drawings of the proposed improvements
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Tentative schedules for construction
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Tentative schedules for right-of-way acquisition
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Documentation of the project’s environmental effects
Property
owners and business owners on or near the project are requested to attend. Area
residents will have the opportunity to ask questions and provide comments
regarding the possible social, economic and environmental effects of the
project. Attendees will be able to individually discuss the plans with
representatives of Charleston County and the project’s design team.
Another
purpose of the meeting is to gather information from the public or any
interested organization about historic or cultural resources in the area.
Charleston County will accept written comments for a three-week period following
the public hearing.
Details
on the Johnnie Dodds Boulevard project:
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Widening from two lanes to three lanes in each direction on Johnnie Dodds
Boulevard including curbs, gutters and medians. Median width will vary
from eight to 12 feet similar to that between Hungryneck Boulevard and the
Isle of Palms Connector on US 17.
-
The
frontage roads will be widened to provide one lane in each direction with
four-foot–wide, marked bike lanes, curbs, gutters and a sidewalk on the
outer edge for pedestrian use.
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Construction of a
standard, signalized intersection at Johnnie Dodds Boulevard and Houston
Northcutt Boulevard. Left turns from Magrath Darby Boulevard will be
eliminated and right turns only allowed. A left turn lane from Johnnie Dodds
Boulevard to Magrath Darby Boulevard will be constructed.
-
Construction of a traditional at-grade intersection at Johnnie Dodds
Boulevard and Shelmore Boulevard, Dragoon Drive and Anna Knapp Boulevard
with additional turn lanes where needed. Pedestrian crossing will be
provided at one section of the Shelmore Boulevard and Anna Knapp Boulevard
intersections to allow for safe crossing on Johnnie Dodds Boulevard. Left
turn lanes on Johnnie Dodds to Shelmore Boulevard and Anna Knapp Boulevard
will be limited to a single lane with the provision of a turn lane if this
need is determined in the future.
Click here to view Shelmore intersection improvements.
Click here to view Dragoon intersection improvements.
Click here to view Anna Knapp intersection improvements.
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Construction of a
tight diamond interchange with an overpass carrying Johnnie Dodds Boulevard
traffic over Bowman Road. The interchange will carry three lanes in the
southbound direction and two lanes in the northbound direction. Bowman Road
will be widened to six lanes under Johnnie Dodds Boulevard with appropriate
transitions to the existing lane configurations.
-
Where
needed in high traffic volume areas, traffic signals will be installed where
the frontage road intersects with the side roads. An exception to this will
be those intersections restricted to right-in, right-out operation on the
east side of the Bowman Road interchange. These intersections will remain in
their current location with the exception of the west quadrant of the Bowman
Road interchange, which will be relocated farther away from Johnnie Dodds
Boulevard in conjunction with the relocation of Hospital Road.
Related
maps and/or drawings, the environmental assessment, and other information is
available for public review at:
A copy
of the environmental assessment will also be available 15 days prior to the
hearing at:
-
The
Charleston County Public Library, 68 Calhoun Street downtown Charleston
-
Mt.
Pleasant Regional Public Library, 1133 Mathis Ferry Road in Mt. Pleasant
The
Charleston County Transportation Sales Tax referendum was approved by voters in
November of 2004. Collection of the Transportation Sales Tax began in May of
2005 and will continue for 25 years or until $1.303 billion is generated for
transportation and greenspace related projects and improvements.
The
Johnnie Dodds Boulevard project is one of the projects approved by voters in the
first bond referendum in November of 2004. The voters of Charleston County
authorized the County to issue $77 million in bonds, which will be repaid
through Transportation Sales Tax proceeds. The entire amount of the initial bond
referendum is allocated for the following transportation improvement projects:
Charleston
County RoadWise is the name of the Charleston County Government’s management
program for the construction of roads, highways, resurfacing, paving and
drainage projects that are funded by the Transportation Sales Tax.
Visit the official
Charleston County RoadWise Web site
www.ccroadwise.com for more information on these projects, public meeting
notices and up-to-date news and information.
