Proposed Project
The proposed project consists of improvements to SC Highway 41 (SC 41) for a total of 5.6 miles from US Highway 17 (US 17) across the Wando River Bridge to Clements Ferry Road, located in both Berkeley and Charleston Counties. The proposed project also includes improvements to the intersection of SC 41 and US 17, a new tie-in road between SC 41 and Winnowing Way, and a 1.3-mile new location roadway, Laurel Hill Parkway, between SC 41 and Park West Boulevard, and drainage improvements. The proposed work consists of the placement of fill material within 6.27 acres of freshwater wetlands, 3.61 acres of tidal wetlands, and 0.10 acres of open freshwater wetlands. In addition to the proposed fill, 0.62 acres of freshwater wetlands and 0.47 acres of tidal wetlands would be mechanically cleared. Lastly, 0.96 acres of tidal wetlands would be impacted for bridge construction access. The primary purpose of the proposed SC 41 Corridor Improvements Project is to reduce traffic congestion within the SC 41 corridor to accommodate future traffic projections.
Community Engagement
Public Hearing
DHEC OCRM will hold an in-person public hearing to receive comments on the proposed SC Hwy 41 Corridor Improvements project on Wednesday, June 5, 2024 at 6:00 pm. The public hearing will be held at the Wando High School Performing Arts Center (Auditorium) located at 1000 Warrior Way, Mount Pleasant, SC 29466.
During the public hearing, DHEC OCRM staff will provide a brief summary of the proposed application and will accept verbal comments for the record to be considered prior to making a final decision. This hearing is designed so that DHEC OCRM staff can gather comments as to the merits of the project and consider all information when making a decision based on the Coastal Tidelands and Wetlands Act, Department regulations, and policies.
What to Expect
The public hearing will consist of an overview of the project and the Department's regulatory authorities. If time permits, an opportunity for a question and answer session will proceed the formal public hearing. The presentation will begin at 6 p.m. and then the formal public hearing will start no later than 7 p.m. The allotted time for the question and answer session will be determined by the amount of interest from those who have signed up to speak and provide public comment.
To ensure the Department gathers all presented information and has an opportunity to hear all comments, direct questioning during the open comment portion of the public hearing will not be allowed. The public notice for the hearing will remain open for two weeks following the hearing. Written comments will continue to be accepted through the public notice webpage until Wednesday, June 19, 2024. DHEC OCRM's final permit decision will be made available on this webpage and by email or mail to everyone on DHEC OCRM’s mailing list who requested to be notified of the final Department decision for the proposed SC Hwy 41 Corridor Improvements project.
Pre-Registration
If you plan to attend and participate in the public hearing, please complete the registration form prior to June 5, 2024.
Contact Information
For technical information regarding the critical area permit application, please contact Sarah Reed at (843) 953-0269 or reeds2@dhec.sc.gov.