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Charleston County News Release
MEDIA
CONTACT
Name: Jennie
Davis Flinn, Charleston County Public Information Officer
Phone: (843)
958-4012
Email:
jflinn@charlestoncounty.org
Release Number: 3107
Release
Date: May 5, 2010
Images of the project design
Event Photos:
Construction Begins on
Bee Street and
Courtenay Drive Improvement Project
Charleston
County will oversee major bond project funded by the Transportation Sales Tax
Construction is beginning on the
Bee Street and Courtenay Drive Improvement Project in downtown Charleston.
The
project, which is expected to be completed in less than a year, is funded by the
Charleston County Transportation Sales Tax and managed by the Charleston County
RoadWise Program.
The
improvements will improve traffic flow into and around downtown’s medical campus
and surrounding areas during peak hours, and provide drainage relief along the
Bee Street area.
“We are
excited to get started,” said Teddie Pryor, Charleston County Council Chairman,
who spoke at an event on Wednesday, May 5 to kick-off the construction. “Like
all our projects, this is one that has been developed through extensive public
input. In this case, the City of Charleston and the hospitals also played a
large role in determining what changes will truly improve the traffic situation
in this area.”
The Bee
Street and Courtenay Drive Improvement Project
was requested by the city of Charleston and approved by voters in the
second Transportation Sales Tax bond referendum.
“The
continued growth of the Medical University of SC and the need for the expansion
of hospital facilities is very important to the local and regional economy,”
said City of Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr. “As MUSC expands their
services and facilities, it is necessary to build roadway infrastructure to
accommodate pedestrian and bicycle traffic, as well as vehicular and mass
transit. The Bee Street and Courtenay Drive
Improvement Project, the result of a collaborative effort between the
City of Charleston and the Medical University working together with Charleston
County, will ensure that roadway capacity is built to properly service the
medical facility.”
MUSC
officials are also eager to get the project underway as well.
“The
project will improve traffic, provide drainage relief and result in better
pedestrian safety in the long-run,” said MUSC Public Safety Director, Chief Tony
Dunbar. “This will be a major improvement for the students, employees and
visitors to MUSC, and it has been badly needed. The Department of Public Safety
will attempt to ensure that everyone at MUSC is kept up to date on road closings
and detours as they become necessary.”
Roadwork
that requires lane closures will only occur at night from 9 p.m. – 5:30 a.m. to
minimize effects on traffic. The cost of the total project is estimated to be
$4.8 million.
Details
of the project:
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The conversion of Courtenay Drive from Spring
Street to Cannon Street from two-way traffic to one-way southbound traffic.
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The widening of Courtenay Drive between Cannon
Street and Ralph Johnson Boulevard to accommodate an additional lane in each
direction and improvements at its intersection with Bee Street.
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The complete demolition, reconstruction, and
widening of Bee Street from Courtenay Drive to Lockwood Boulevard to improve
drainage and reduce roadway settlement.
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The relocation of 1,200 feet of 12-inch water
line along Bee Street from Courtenay Drive to Lockwood Boulevard.
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Improvements to the roadway drainage system on
Courtenay Drive and Bee Street to complement the city of Charleston’s future
Spring/Fishbourne Drainage Improvement project.
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Upgraded traffic signals will be installed at the
intersections of Courtenay Drive at Cannon Street and Courtenay Drive at Bee
Street. The upgraded traffic signals will include pedestrian hand/man signal
heads and improved cross walks.
The
public can get up-to-date project information on the project, including
construction status and traffic alerts, online at
http://www.ccroadwise.org/musc.html.
The voters
of Charleston County authorized the County to issue $42 million in bonds, which
will be repaid through Transportation Sales Tax revenues.
The entire
amount of the second bond referendum is allocated for the following
transportation improvement projects:
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 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 road projects.
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