Highway 41 Corridor Improvements

Charleston County has been working to identify a solution to manage the growing traffic congestion on Highway 41. The project team has been following an environmental review process, which has included extensive public and stakeholder engagement as well as a detailed alternatives evaluation process to examine the environmental, social, cultural, and economic impacts of the proposed project. The purpose and need of the project are to reduce congestion within the corridor and accommodate future traffic projections.

From 2017 through 2021, many alternative concepts for the project were screened and either eliminated or moved forward for more extensive traffic and environmental review. As a result of those evaluations, Alternative 1 was presented to the public via a virtual public meeting in August 2020. This alternative recommended widening Highway 41 to four lanes through the Phillips community. Nearly 3,000 comments were received during the public comment period.

The project team presented a modified design to Council on March 4, 2021, that proposed widening Dunes West Boulevard, building a new four-lane road around Park West along the edge of Laurel Hill County Park, and limiting the Highway 41 widening through the Phillips community to three lanes instead of four. The modified design met the project’s purpose and need. At Council's direction, this design was presented to stakeholders and the surrounding communities for review and input. The team held more than 20 meetings with stakeholders and community members along the Highway 41 and Highway 17 corridor to review the design in detail.

In response to community input, the project team developed a compromise for the surrounding communities. In August 2021, the Charleston County Council voted 9-0 to move the Compromise Alternative forward through the environmental review process and further into design. Since Council's direction, the project team has been developing 30% design plans for submittal to SCDOT and submitted a permit application and Environmental Report to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in May 2023. A 30-day Public Notice comment period was held June 9, 2023 through July 9, 2023. The comments received are currently being compiled and comment responses will be sent out. o The project team submitted a permit application to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC), now known as the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES), in December 2023. SCDES is currently undergoing its permitting process and held a public hearing regarding the permit application in June 2024.

The Compromise Alternative consists of two travel lanes in each direction from the Wando River Bridge to Dunes West Boulevard/Rivertowne Parkway, one lane in each direction with a center turn lane/median through Phillips Community, two travel lanes in each direction from south of Joe Rouse Road to Highway 17, and adds a two lane southern parkway from Highway 41 to Park West Boulevard along the edge of Laurel Hill County Park. The Compromise Alternative also includes changes from earlier alternatives to reduce right-of-way impacts at the Highway 17 intersections with Highway 41 and Winnowing Way.

The USACE permit application, Environmental Report and supporting documentation was submitted to the USACE in May 2023. USACE is currently undergoing its permitting process. A 30-day Public Notice comment period was held June 9, 2023 through July 9, 2023.

The SCDES permit application and supporting documentation was submitted to the SCDES in December 2023. SCDES is currently undergoing its permitting process and held a public hearing regarding the permit application in June 2024.

Next Steps

• Spring 2025 - Fall 2026: Final Design and Right-of-Way Acquisition
• Late 2026: Begin Construction

Interim improvements were evaluated by the project team to relieve congestion along the Highway 41 corridor until a final project is built. These improvements were evaluated for cost, traffic and feasibility and have been refined to avoid or minimize impacts on the surrounding area.

The existing signalized intersection at Joe Rouse Road and Highway 41 is approaching capacity and will continue to see increased congestion. The intersection was reconfigured to improve the flow of traffic and accommodate the increasing traffic volumes along the corridor. Changes were also made to the signal timing and minor construction occurred at the intersection of Highways 17 and 41 to provide additional traffic relief and significant reductions in delays for the entire corridor.

Originally, the project team evaluated a southbound lane from Joe Rouse Road to Highway 17 and this concept was not implemented as an interim improvement. Construction on the interim improvements concluded in fall 2024.

The Compromise Alternative will impact both wetlands and floodplains within the project corridor. The County will be required to mitigate any wetland impacts associated with the project, and as the project is further developed, engineers will be required to address drainage to minimize or avoid impacts to these areas. Visit the project environmental process page for more information.

The project team has not identified any homes that will be removed as a result of the Compromise Alternative. As the project moves forward, the project team will make all efforts to avoid or minimize impacts on communities, homes and resources in the final design.

As part of the analysis process in the Environmental Report, properties that require right-of-way (ROW) acquisition will be identified. ROW acquisition will begin once the permit is approved by the USACE and final ROW plans are approved by SCDOT in early 2025. An appraiser will determine compensation for the ROW acquisition based on the value of the land being acquired and the project's impacts on the value of the remainder of the property. The County will then contact individual property owners to begin discussions on ROW acquisition.

The Project is designed to provide acceptable traffic flow in the morning and afternoon rush hours in the project design year. The project design meets the project purposes of easing traffic congestion, improving safety for commuters and will play a significant role in positively influencing the long-term transportation planning of Charleston County.

Enhancing safety throughout the project corridor is included in the Project Purpose & Need. The project team has been coordinating with SCDOT and the local County emergency management office on hurricane evacuation route requirements as the project has progressed. The project team will also include additional safety features for pedestrians and bicyclists throughout the corridor.

The Highway 41 Improvement project will include completing the Town of Mount Pleasant’s Gregorie Ferry Connector Road, which will tie into Highway 41 at Colonnade. In addition, Winnowing Way will be extended to Highway 41, providing a new connection from Highway 41 to US 17 at its intersection with Porchers Bluff Road.

Charleston County is leading the project in partnership with the Town of Mount Pleasant and South Carolina Department of Transportation. Cal Oyer, P.E., is the project manager for Charleston County.

The SC 41 Corridor Improvements Project is solely funded by the Charleston County sales tax. No U.S. Department of Transportation funding will be used for the planning, design, or construction of the project, and Federal Highway Administration is not providing oversight or approval. Because of this, review of the project under Section 4(f) is not triggered for the SC 41 Corridor Improvements project. However, the project team has evaluated potential impacts to Laurel Hill County Park and historic sites as part of our alternatives analysis.

Architectural and archaeological surveys have been completed for the SC 41 Corridor Improvements project, and consultation between the South Carolina State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), USACE, and SCDHEC have begun.

This Executive Order requires federal agencies to identify and address disproportionately high and adverse effects of a project on minority and low-income populations. The proposed alternative may require development and implementation of a community mitigation plan commensurate with the project’s effects on the Phillips and Seven Mile communities.