SCDOT to hold two public information meetings for proposed I-526 Lowcountry Corridor EAST Study

SCDOT Officials and Project team to introduce EAST study and goals

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 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.

Identical meetings will be held on the following dates at two locations:

Mount Pleasant Meeting Details:

• Tuesday, March 24, 2020, 5 – 7 p.m.
• R.L. Jones Center, 391 Egypt Road, Mount Pleasant, S.C. 29464
• Drop-in format; no formal presentation

North Charleston Meeting Details:

• Thursday, March 26, 2020, 5 – 7 p.m.
• Felix C. Davis Community Center, 4800 Park Circle, North Charleston, S.C. 29405
• Drop-in format; no formal presentation

Each meeting will consist of an open house during which members of the public may review project information, submit feedback, and ask the project team questions. No formal presentation will be made.

The purpose of these public information meetings is to explain the PEL study process, provide information on existing conditions, and receive comments on the purpose and need of the project. Another purpose of this meeting is to gather information from the public or any interested organization on historic or cultural resources in the area.

“These public information meetings represent a valuable opportunity to receive input from the public and to better explain the PEL study process, a first for South Carolina,” said SCDOT Project Manager Joy Riley. “With the amount of current congestion along this corridor, further compounded by the current trend of regional growth, it is now more important than ever to find effective solutions.”

The I-526 LCC EAST study area extends from Virginia Avenue in North Charleston to approximately U.S. Highway 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, which are significant river crossings for this region.

Study information will be available for review at the public information meetings. All interested persons are invited to attend the public meetings. Information from the meetings will also be available on the study website at 526LowcountryCorridor.com. While the information will be presented in English, Spanish materials will be made available online, and a Spanish translator will be available on-site. For those needing special accommodations, please call 803.737.1395. Written comments may be submitted at the meeting in-person or by mail to:

Joy Riley
SC Department of Transportation
Post Office Box 191
955 Park Street
Columbia, SC  29202-0191

Comments must be postmarked or submitted electronically by May 1, 2020.

Be sure to take our online survey, available on our website from March 17 through May 1, 2020, to share your ideas and preferences for the I-526 Lowcountry Corridor EAST.

Additional information concerning the project may be found online at 526LowcountryCorridor.com or by emailing [email protected].

In addition to the I-526 Lowcountry Corridor EAST study, SCDOT has embarked on a 10 Year Plan to widen congested interstates, improve road safety, replace or reinforce structurally deficient bridges, and resurface the state’s most heavily traveled roads. SCDOT is actively working projects in all of South Carolina’s 46 counties. While fixing the state’s roads will take time after 30 years of funding neglect, SCDOT is ahead of schedule since the state’s gas tax increase was enacted in July 2017. SCDOT’s statewide 10 Year Plan can be found at:  https://www.scdot.org/projects/ten-year-plan.aspx.