Charleston County outlines $245 million Highway 41 improvements, seeks right‑of‑way approval

Charleston County programs manager Sean Sotek told County Council on June 24 that the county is preparing to move forward with planned improvements to SC Highway 41, a roughly 9.5‑mile project intended to reduce congestion, add bicycle and pedestrian facilities and minimize property relocations.

Sotek said the project — started in 2017 and refined after extensive public engagement — now uses a “compromise alternative” that narrows widening through the Phillips community to a three‑lane section, avoids residential and commercial relocations and includes a continuous multi‑use path connecting US 17 to Clements Ferry and Berkeley County. He said the county plans to advertise the project for construction bids in the third quarter of 2026 and anticipates a roughly four‑year construction schedule once work begins.

The project has accumulated substantial public input and technical review during an eight‑year planning period, Sotek said. County staff received more than 7,000 public comments, evaluated roughly 20 alternative designs and coordinated with the Federal Highway Administration and the U.S. Department of Justice on impacts to the Phillips community. Sotek said the county has resubmitted revised environmental work to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers after changing the shared‑use path design from an earthen berm to a short trestle bridge, an alteration that reduced permitted impacts.

Sotek summarized cost and funding: total project cost approaches $245,000,000, of which about $50,000,000 covers preliminary engineering and right‑of‑way and approximately $194,000,000 is construction cost. He said the majority of funding is from the county’s 2016 transportation sales tax, with $62,000,000 expected from the South Carolina Transportation Infrastructure Bank and about $2,000,000 from Berkeley County; the town of Mount Pleasant has contributed roughly $600,000 for interim improvements. Sotek said recent interim intersection work at US 17 and Dingle Road and at Joe Rouse Road cost about $1,300,000, with Mount Pleasant contributing $200,000, and that signal timing upgrades cost about $85,000 from the project budget.

On project schedule and risks, Sotek said staff expects approval of right‑of‑way plans from SCDOT within about 30 days and anticipates final plan approval around May 2026. He noted the county has title research and early owner contact underway for the roughly 168 parcels from which easements or acquisitions will be needed. Sotek also said the county has a funding agreement with the State Transportation Infrastructure Bank that states construction must commence by May 1, 2026; staff has been updating the SIB quarterly and intends to request an amendment to shift county expectations to a November 2026 construction start if needed. He described the main schedule risks as the time required to secure environmental permits and any delay in the SIB agreement amendment. If an extension is not agreed, Sotek said staff may phase the project, starting work at the 41/17 intersection while finishing remaining right‑of‑way acquisitions.

Council members asked clarifying questions during the update. Councilmember Wearman asked whether the Phillips community had been informed; Sotek said staff had met with them recently and they “seemed very pleased” with the updates. Councilmember Moody criticized long project timelines and regulatory delays, citing previous local projects that took many years. Vice Chair Kabowski asked whether regulatory agencies had indicated problems with permits; Sotek said recent Corps discussions suggested no major objections but that paperwork and inter‑agency review take time. Councilmember Sasse and others asked about utilities and drainage; Sotek said routine utility relocations are expected but no major transmission upgrades have been identified within project limits.

Councilmembers and staff also discussed next steps: obtain right‑of‑way approval to begin offers to property owners, complete the Corps and state environmental permits (SCDES was named in the presentation), finalize construction plans by May 2026, and advertise the project in third quarter 2026. Sotek said staff is coordinating a memorandum of agreement and encroachment permits with the town of Mount Pleasant to allow work in town right‑of‑way and to document town responsibility for maintenance of Laurel Parkway and landscaping once work is complete. He cautioned that condemnation filings could be necessary before construction in areas where agreements with property owners are not reached.