Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hilton Head council pushes for corridor master plan after Beaufort County allocates $80 million to bridge
Summary
Town Manager Mark Orlando told council Beaufort County intends to apply an $80 million tranche from the 2018 transportation sales tax toward a Mackay Creek bridge, leaving little referendum money for corridor improvements. Staff proposed refining the corridor master plan, preparing engineering cost opinions and a resolution to signal the town's priorities to state partners.
Town Manager Mark Orlando updated the Town Council on June 3 that Beaufort County recently voted to commit the $80,000,000 tranche from the 2018 transportation sales and use tax referendum toward a Mackay Creek bridge project, an action Orlando said effectively removes that referendum tranche from funding corridor improvements on Hilton Head Island.
"Beaufort County intends to use the full $80,000,000 from the 2018 transportation sales tax referendum to support the bridge project as a contribution toward the approximately $300,000,000 cost," Orlando said. He recalled that the referendum described three tranches (an $80 million tranche for US‑278 corridor improvements among other allocations) and that the referendum passed with about 58% of the vote.
Orlando and town staff urged the council to move quickly to refine a corridor master plan, determine phasing, produce an engineering opinion of probable costs for proposed concepts and identify a first phase of improvements—especially the Squire Pope Road intersection—to address safety and throughput on the island side. Staff noted coordination would be required with SCDOT, Beaufort County, the Lowcountry Area Transportation Study (LATS) and the legislative delegation.
Council members expressed disappointment that the referendum tranche would be used largely for the bridge and worried that intersection and corridor work on the island would go unfunded. Several members argued the town should develop a combined funding package and be prepared to pursue multiple sources rather than relying on a single pot of money.
Orlando said he had spoken with Senator Tom Davis, who encouraged getting a plan in place over the summer and early fall to support budget conversations in January; staff also said a Transportation Infrastructure Bank (TIB) 30‑day review window was closing in mid‑June and that TIB concurrence will matter to the proposal's path forward.
Sean (town staff) asked council to formally acknowledge priorities and said staff would prepare a resolution for council consideration in the coming weeks to provide clarity to state and regional partners and to support funding‑strategy work.
Council members urged public engagement and asked staff to bring a refined master plan, cost estimates and a phased funding strategy back to the council for a future vote.
