Charleston County News Release

MEDIA CONTACT

Name:   Jennie Davis, Charleston County Public Information Officer

Phone: (843) 958-4012

Email:   jdavis@charlestoncounty.org 

Release Number: 3032

Release Date: July 15, 2009

See project information online: http://www.ccroadwise.org/folly_maybank.html

Maybank Lane Closures Planned for Underground Utility Line Relocation

Weekend lane closures along Maybank Highway near Folly Road to occur July 24-27 and July 31-Aug. 3.

Road crews will be relocating underground utility lines for the Folly Road and Maybank Highway Intersection Improvement Project beginning July 24. The work will begin after 9 p.m. on Friday, July 24, and will continue through 5:30 a.m. Monday, July 27, and will occur again the following weekend beginning after 9 p.m. on Friday, July 31, and will continue through 5:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 3.

Because the work includes the movement of an SCE&G gas line under the highway near the intersection of Maybank Highway and Old Folly Road, road lanes will have to be temporarily closed to traffic. At no point will the entire roadway be blocked to traffic.

The public is asked to take notice of traffic control signs and message board information. All road work is dependent on the weather.

Every effort is being made to schedule necessary lane closures for the project during off- peak, nighttime and weekend hours when possible. Any other road work on the project that could disrupt traffic will be announced through news releases issued to local media and posted on both the Charleston County Government and Charleston County RoadWise Web sites.

“We have been able to complete many of our recent activities with minimal traffic impacts and the shifting of lanes between Wappoo Cut and Crosscreek Drive, but upcoming work to move underground utilities and add a new drainage line under Maybank Highway cannot be completed without temporarily closing traffic lanes,” said Steve Thigpen, Charleston County Transportation Sales Tax Program Construction Contracts Manager.

For the past few months, Charleston County RoadWise improvements to the intersection of Folly Road and Maybank Highway have focused on preliminary drainage work. This work has included the placement of new drainage lines under Folly Road at the Wappoo Cut bridge, along with the replacement of old curbs and gutters on the east side of Folly Road between Country Club Drive and Tatum Street.

The intersection improvements for Folly Road an Maybank Highway, expected to be completed by the spring of 2010, are funded by the Transportation Half-Cent Sales Tax and managed by the Charleston County RoadWise Program.

When completed, the Folly Road and Maybank Highway intersection improvements will include:

• Signaled left turns, with mast-arm stoplights, from Folly Road onto Old Folly Road and from Old Folly Road onto Maybank Highway.

• New, lighted and landscaped medians on Maybank Highway, Folly Road and Old Folly Road.

• Sidewalks with pedestrian lighting along Maybank Highway, Folly Road and Old Folly Road.

• New storm water drainage facilities with a new 60-inch drainage pipe crossing underneath Maybank Highway and Wappoo Creek Drive as well as new curbs and gutters throughout the project area.

• New pavement markings, including crosswalks and signs.

The public can get up-to-date project information, including construction status and traffic alerts, online at http://www.ccroadwise.org/folly_maybank.html.

Charleston County RoadWise is the name of Charleston County Government’s management program for the construction of roads, highways, resurfacing, paving and drainage projects that are funded by the Transportation Half-Cent Sales Tax.

Visit the official Web site at www.ccroadwise.org for public meeting notices and up-to-date news and information about all Charleston County Transportation Sales Tax projects.