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: 3076
Release Date: January 28, 2010
See project information online: http://www.ccroadwise.org/intersections.html
Intersection Improvements Added to List of Completed Road Projects
Ravenel and Mount Pleasant receive improved turning lanes funded by the Transportation Sales Tax
Charleston County Government has completed three more intersection improvement projects that will bring increased safety to drivers in Mount Pleasant and Ravenel.
Two of the intersection improvement projects involve turn lanes in the town of Mount Pleasant. The other improvement is in the town of Ravenel. Each of the completed projects will allow greater opportunities for vehicles to slow down before turning, provide more area for turning, and, in one of the projects, allow better movement of vehicles accessing the schools along Thomas Cario Boulevard in Mount Pleasant.
All three projects will improve safety for drivers. Descriptions of the projects are as follows:
-
US 17 / Tumbleston Road in Ravenel
The speed limit on US 17 at this location is 60 mph. The new turn lane will make it safer for motorists to slow down and make a right turn off of US 17 South onto Tubleston Road.
-
US 17 / Long Point Road in Mount Pleasant
The improved turn lane along this stretch of road will enable a greater number of southbound vehicles to turn right at one time at the stoplight onto Long Point Road from US 17 South.
-
Park West Boulevard/Thomas Cario Boulevard in Mount Pleasant
The new turn lanes will improve access to the schools along Thomas Cario Boulevard. Before the improvement, vehicles traveling to the schools blocked vehicles traveling straight through the intersection.
“Small-scale projects such as those in Ravenel and Mount Pleasant have created a safer environment for drivers,” said Steve Thigpen, Chief Program Engineer for the Charleston County Transportation Development Department.
The S.C. Department of Transportation and Town of Mount Pleasant requested the projects, which took six months to construct. The combined cost for all three projects was approximately $480,000. This amount includes design, right-of-way acquisition and construction.
BACKGROUND
The Charleston County Transportation Sales Tax funds both small and large improvements projects throughout Charleston County.
Voters approved the Charleston County Transportation Sales Tax Program referendum in November of 2004. Collection of the Transportation Sales Tax began in May 2005 and will continue for 25 years or until $1.303 billion is generated for transportation and green space related projects and improvements.
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. Smaller projects are known as allocations projects. This simply means that annually Charleston County Government sets aside funding for small projects.
Other Transportation Sales Tax annual allocation projects underway or completed:
Many additional road and drainage improvements are being implemented by Charleston County Government through annual funding allocated by County Council to smaller projects throughout the community:
Visit the Charleston County RoadWise program 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.
