Town officials summarize six SCDOT options for William Hilton Parkway bridge; joint public meeting set

Town officials on Feb. 4 summarized a meeting with the South Carolina Department of Transportation that presented six options for work on the William Hilton Parkway gateway corridor, including partial and full bridge-replacement approaches and alternatives that would add a multi‑use bike and pedestrian path.

The briefing, given by Assistant Town Manager Sean Cohen, said SCDOT described so‑called “lifeline” options that would replace the eastbound bridge; some options would be built as three-lane structures but striped for two lanes initially, while others would extend three-lane sections farther through the project corridor. Estimated ballpark costs reported by SCDOT ranged from roughly $258 million for an eastbound-only replacement without a multi‑use path to approximately $467 million for a full project, Cohen said. The town’s presentation included a mid‑range option that would add a multi‑use path for about $320–$340 million and intermediate cost estimates for 3‑lane treatments through Spanish Wells Road.

Cohen said SCDOT attributed part of the difference between earlier project estimates and current numbers to widespread project‑cost escalation, which SCDOT staff estimated at about a 70% increase in recent years. SCDOT noted design‑build procurement could produce cost savings and clarified that utility relocation, governed by South Carolina law, is eligible for state participation up to statutory caps and that remaining relocation costs could be borne by local funding allocations.

On tolling and reversible lanes, Cohen told council SCDOT said state statute does not permit placing a toll on an existing free facility and that SCDOT opposes reversible lanes on safety and operational grounds. Cohen also said SCDOT indicated that touching down on Pinkney Island or adding mid‑island landings would increase cost and have environmental and safety implications, and that certain corridor options that extend through the Stony community and Spanish Wells Road would take longer to deliver.

SCDOT suggested coordinating future phases through the Lowcountry Area Transportation Study and recommended that the town and Beaufort County submit a joint resolution to the State Infrastructure Bank describing project scope and funding strategy in advance of the bank’s March 31 deadline. Cohen said Beaufort County would also need to revise an intergovernmental agreement tied to the SIB award.

Why it matters: the William Hilton Parkway corridor is the island’s principal east–west connector and a focus of long‑range planning; the chosen option will affect multimodal access, environmental mitigation, right‑of‑way needs and project timing. Cohen gave an estimated permitting, design and right‑of‑way timeline that could reach roughly 32 months to be ready to construct under SCDOT’s early estimates, with construction then an additional 24–36 months depending on the selected option.

The town and county plan a joint public meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 12, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Buckwalter Recreation Center to review the SCDOT proposals, funding options and next steps and to solicit public comment. Cohen told council he would make the SCDOT summary and graphics available on the town website after the meeting.