Hilton Head council approves joint resolution on US‑278 corridor with two‑way access priority, reserves $5 million for Stoney community

The Hilton Head Island Town Council voted 6–1 on March 4 to approve a revised joint resolution with Beaufort County outlining project scope and a funding strategy for the William Hilton Parkway (U.S. 278) Gateway Corridor Project. The resolution adds language referencing a Feb. 28, 2025 letter from South Carolina Department of Transportation Secretary Justin Powell, asks that the project be procured as a design‑build with scoring preference for solutions that provide two‑way access to Pinckney Island, requests a 40 mph speed limit on the corridor, and directs that a minimum of $5,000,000 in local funds be set aside and made available to the town upon Federal Highway Administration approval.

The resolution was moved by Councilman DeSimone and seconded by Councilwoman Becker. The roll call vote was Desimone — yes; Bryson — no; Becker — yes; Mayor Perry — yes; Mayor Pro Tem Brown — yes; Councilman Alfred — yes; Councilwoman Tunner — yes. Councilwoman Bryson explained her no vote, saying, “In my mind, we haven't done justice to our residents or to the future, and so I have to vote no.”

Why it matters: the State Infrastructure Bank (SIB) requested a joint scope-and-funding response by March 31 for consideration. Council members and staff said the SIB decision and any Federal Highway Administration approvals remain required before work can begin; the town and county framed the resolution as a signal that they are cooperating on scope and funding as the SIB evaluates the project.

What the council approved and why The council approved a version of the joint resolution that Beaufort County had approved Feb. 24, with several Hilton Head edits. Key revisions adopted at the March 4 meeting were: - Addition of a new…