Frequently Asked Questions

Are there plans to extend a four lane expressway from SC 30 across James and Johns Island, perhaps following River Road to Bohicket Creek Road (Betsy Kerrison)?

How is this project being funded?

How do I add my name to the email information distribution list?

What is the status of consultation under Section 106 of the NHPA?

How can I comment on the project?

Will traffic issues and safety issues associated with Johns Island and James Island be addressed in a comprehensive way?

Yes; As part of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), a comprehensive traffic analysis will be conducted using the BCDCOG travel demand model as the basis. This model will be updated using the most recently updated land use plans, including the Johns Island Plan by the City of Charleston and the recently updated Comprehensive Plan for Charleston County. All recently completed transportation improvement projects in this study will be incorporated as well. This includes work conducted within the City of Charleston, Town of James Island and Charleston County. This traffic analysis will be both a regional traffic analysis as well as a detailed traffic engineering exercise at and near proposed interchanges.

Back to top

How is the city going to address traffic on Johns Island roads (Bohicket, Main, Maybank and River Roads)?

For projects within the City of Charleston, please contact the City office of Traffic & Transportation at (843) 720-1993. For traffic issues outside of the City limits and projects being conducted by Charleston County, please refer to the website for Charleston County RoadWise. All adopted land use plans and committed transportation projects will be incorporated into the traffic analysis for the I-526 EIS.

Back to top

Will the Mark Clark Extension provide a long-term solution or just move congestion around?

It is the goal of all transportation projects to improve mobility. In the case of the proposed I-526, the level of improvement provided by the proposed facility will be evaluated as part of the EIS. The traffic analysis will be conducted to a forecast year of 2035 for the evaluation of the performance of the project.

Back to top

Will the “The New Way To Work” alternative be considered in the EIS?

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires alternatives to be considered in the EIS. The alternatives to be evaluated in the I-526 Mark Clark Expressway EIS are expected to include: (1) No-build; (2) Transportation System Management (TSM); (3) alternative modes of transportation and (4) build alternatives including upgrades to existing roads and one or more new location alternatives. The alternatives to be investigated in the EIS will be developed with input from agencies and the public during the initial coordination/scoping period and subsequent agency and public involvement opportunities.

Back to top

Is there a map available that shows the projected path of the extended I-526 alignment?

As the project has progressed, maps of the potential alignments for the extended Mark Clark Expressway have been posted to the project website. Currently, there are seven reasonable alternatives being evaluated in the DEIS. Please see the Maps and Photos Page.

Back to top

What is the predicted path the new road will take?

The completion of I-526 is proposed to be a new roadway between its current endpoint at US 17 (Savannah Highway) and the James Island Expressway Interchange at Folly Road. One interchange is proposed on Maybank Highway. Because the EIS process for this project has just begun, there are no alignments or proposed routes at this time.

Back to top

When and where is the next I-526 Public Meeting?

Following the release of the DEIS, two public hearings will be held to provide the public with another opportunity to review the project and provide comments. The public hearing will include an informal, open-house format session, similar to past meetings. This session will provide displays with project information for the public to review and ask questions of project team members. A formal session will also take place with a presentation on the project and public comment period. Public hearing dates and locations will be announced on this website and throughout the community. These two public hearings will follow identical format and will present identical content, allowing the choice of days to attend. The public is encouraged to attend either of these two hearings. It is anticipated that the DEIS will be finalized and released to the public in Summer 2010.

Back to top

How will the new road impact neighborhoods in its path?

SCDOT will develop the EIS, a process that will include the evaluation of alternatives and comparison of impacts on both the natural and human environment. All impacts to both the natural and human environment will be minimized to the extent possible. Because of the early stages of the project, specific community and neighborhood impacts have not been identified at this time. A detailed Community Impact Assessment will be conducted in relation to the reasonable alternatives that will be identified by the SCDOT project team. The results showing both the benefits and impacts to nearby neighborhoods and communities will be included in the EIS.

Back to top

Is there any additional information available? Where can I get more information about the project?

As the project is developed, SCDOT will continue to update the website with information about the project. Public information meetings throughout the project will be held within or adjacent to the project area to present new information as it is identified and to provide the public opportunity to comment on the project. Newsletters will also be distributed throughout the project as new information becomes available. Newsletters will be distributed through email or mail and will be sent to those who have asked be on the project distribution list. Newsletter content will also be highlighted on the project website.

Back to top

Are there plans to extend a four lane expressway from SC 30 across James and Johns Island, perhaps following River Road to Bohicket Creek Road (Betsy Kerrison)?

Please see the Charleston County Roadwise website for more information about this project.

Back to top

How is this project being funded?

In November 2004, the voters of Charleston County approved a half-cent sales tax for transportation, public transportation and greenbelt projects in the county. To complete the plan for Mark Clark Expressway, Charleston County officials used these sales tax transportation projects as a local match to apply for funding from the South Carolina Transportation Infrastructure Bank (SIB) in 2006. Upon review of the application and the availability of matching funds, the SIB committed to fund the project.

Back to top

How do I add my name to the email information distribution list?

To add your contact information to the email distribution list, please send us a comment via the contact form. Now all you need to do is click the check box labeled “please add me to the distribution list” when submitting a comment.

Back to top

What is the status of consultation under Section 106 of the NHPA?

The Section 106 review and compliance for the Mark Clark Expressway Extension begins with SCDOT coordinating with the South Carolina State Historic Preservation Office (SC SHPO) and conducting public meetings to identify historic resources within the potential area of effect for this project. In addition to consultation with SHPO, SCDOT will coordinate with all local, state, tribal, and federal agencies, and the public to identify consulting parties throughout the length of the environmental review process. The coordination and involvement initiatives for this project began with a public scoping meeting held April 10, 2008 and an agency scoping meeting held April 29, 2008. Coordination initiatives continued with public meetings held in November/December 2008 and April/May 2009. Additionally, coordination meetings have been held with SHPO and consulting parties to assess historic resources and identify potential impacts by the project.

The results of the historic resources survey and details concerning coordination meetings will be included in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement which is scheduled to be released in Spring 2010.

For further information regarding agency coordination and public involvement, please click here to view the Draft Agency Coordination and Public Involvement Plan.

Back to top

How can I comment on the project?

Informal public information meetings will be held periodically throughout the length of the project. These meetings will be advertised in newspapers and mail notifications. After each meeting there will be a 15-day comment period on the project.

Formal Public Hearings will be held upon completion of the Draft EIS and Final EIS. There will be a 45-day comment period, at the time of the public hearings, during which the public may submit comments to SCDOT and FHWA concerning the Draft EIS.

Use the contact form to submit comments about the project.

Hotline: 1-888-MCE-I526
The project hotline will include a recorded message that will provide information on upcoming project events, a brief project status and other contact information. When you call, you may leave a project-related message that will be incorporated into the project file.

Contact Information:
David A. Kinard, P.E.
SCDOT Project Manager
P.O. Box 191
Columbia, SC 29202-0191

Back to top

The DEIS has been signed ... find out more

DEIS Documents ... find out more

The official public comment period is open until Sept. 30, 2010, click here to submit your comments.

For additional
information about the public hearings, click here.