Conway council approves staff effort to seek ownership of Depot Road to extend trail network

The Conway City Council on Sept. 2 unanimously authorized city staff to pursue transfer of Depot Road from the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) after SCDOT completes planned reconstruction work, paving the way for a one-way segment and a multipurpose trail connection to a new boardwalk and ferry landing.

Council members and staff said the change would let the city incorporate Depot Road into a planned riverwalk extension and a new boardwalk through an adjacent swamp, and would let the city stripe and manage a multipurpose path where the road intersects the planned boardwalk and future trail connections toward the railroad right-of-way and Coastal Carolina University.

City staff told the council that SCDOT intends to let the reconstruction contract in March with construction beginning a month or two later. SCDOT would perform the reconstruction and leave final striping to the city if the transfer occurs, staff said. Council discussion included questions about whether part of Depot Road would become one-way from Business 501 and where it would revert to two-way traffic near Highway 90 and a parcel identified near the Santee Cooper campground.

Council members emphasized flexibility for operational needs such as hurricane evacuation, with one council member saying traffic flow could be reversed if needed. Council members also asked staff to ensure the road would be reconstructed before any conveyance. After discussion, a council member moved to authorize staff to continue conversations with SCDOT and pursue ownership once reconstruction is complete; another member seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

The council did not set final design details at Tuesday’s meeting. Staff said a subsequent design process and permitting will determine the precise limits of one-way versus two-way sections and that SCDOT’s construction schedule and permitting approvals remain factors.

The council’s action was procedural: it empowered staff to negotiate and plan rather than adopting a final roadway or trail design. No funding appropriation or final transfer agreement was approved at the meeting.

City staff said the Depot Road transfer would be intended to help complete a larger trail network, including a planned ferry connection across the river and a boardwalk through a swamp, and eventually link to a trail along the railroad right-of-way.