Charleston County Public Works provided a multi-item update to the James Island Intergovernmental Council on projects ranging from newly completed pedestrian links to major drainage work that will require temporary closures.

Alex Oziak, transportation program manager for Charleston County Public Works, said construction recently finished on a short Riverland Drive multi-use path and that the county awarded a roughly $3.6 million construction contract for a Maybank Highway/Woodland Shores sidewalk project. "Construction anticipate take take a little over a year, for substantial completion," Oziak said of the Maybank/Woodland Shores work, adding the total project value is close to $5 million.

Oziak told the council the Central Park drainage culvert replacement will include elevating a roadway section that has experienced recurring flooding, installing larger culverts and adding flow-control gates to reduce backflow from James Creek into neighborhoods. County staff said they expect roadway closures and detours for roughly four months starting in June; detours will redirect traffic via Fleming, Maybank and Riverland Drive and residents will get two weeks' notice before closures.

Council members raised longstanding concerns about culverts on James Island that some residents say are blocked with concrete or debris. Oziak and other county staff said the Central Park project is targeted to the culverts under that roadway segment and that separate investigation or repairs for other blocked culverts would be handled by stormwater operations or through follow-up coordination. "This project will address the low cost quality items in the parkway itself," an operations manager said, and staff offered to follow up on individual homeowner complaints.

County engineers also listed a slate of additional projects in various stages of design, permitting or procurement: a Central Park/Riverland Drive intersection improvement (turn lanes and sidewalks), a municipal golf course crossing with a HAWK signal (estimated cost about $770,000), multi-use paths and bike-ped improvements, Fort Johnson/Camp Road intersection work including a compact roundabout, Country Club Drive/Folly Road pedestrian improvements, Dills Bluff sidewalk phases, and the Sol DeGre sidewalk project (estimated cost approximately $2.5 million) for which the county recently received a $1 million state grant.

Oziak and Mackenzie Kelly (engineering manager, pavement management) also described market challenges: several advertised projects returned bids that were either sole bids or exceeded engineer estimates by more than 20–30 percent, prompting staff to consider bundling geographically related projects and to adjust technical specifications (for example, changing asphalt types) to attract bidders. Kelly said the county plans another round of data-driven pavement-condition scoring and is using a rejuvenator product on some roads to extend pavement life.

County staff said they will coordinate closures and provide advance notice to residents. No binding approvals were taken during the council meeting; the presentation served as an update and a request for ongoing cooperation from local officials.