Traffic signal improvements underway at Johns Island intersection
August 1, 2016
On Monday, July 25, the City of Charleston Department of Traffic and Transportation began manually operating the traffic signal at Maybank Highway and River Road during peak weekday traffic (7-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m.) for a two week test period.
The manual operation of the signal is to review and test timing settings to allow better flow through the intersection. The data collected during this test will lead to a re-timing of the light, which the city will do prior to completion of the citywide traffic signal retiming project.
Mayor John Tecklenburg said, “We are manually operating the traffic signal to collect data to find ways to address residents’ concerns of traffic congestion and backup on Johns Island. The signal operator is monitoring the traffic and adjusting the timing of the signal accordingly. We will use the data that we collect to re-time the light and to make recommendations to Charleston County and SCDOT for intersection improvements.”
“I’ve heard from my constituents on a daily basis about the Maybank Highway and River Road intersection during rush hour,” said Charleston County Councilmember Joseph Qualey. “Traffic solutions are often difficult and costly and I’m thankful the City Charleston is taking these steps to improve the quality of life for citizens in an inexpensive and immediate fashion.”
Additionally, earlier this month, City Council approved a Municipal Agreement between the City, Charleston County and South Carolina Department of Transportation for Maybank Highway Improvements. The County project will add an additional lane of traffic on Maybank Highway and improve the intersection of Maybank Highway and River Road.
“With almost 50 people a day moving to the Charleston area, we need to take an ‘everything and the kitchen sink’ approach to traffic relief,” Tecklenburg said in conclusion. “And this project is a good example of that — a quick, low-cost improvement at one intersection that can make a small but hopefully meaningful difference in rush hour traffic, and in our citizens’ quality of life.”
