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Ashley River Crossing about two-thirds complete; alternate pedestrian landing may add cost and delay
Summary
City staff told the Committee on Traffic and Transportation that construction on the Ashley River Crossing is roughly two-thirds finished and still targeting fall 2027, but a proposed alternate eastern landing tying the bridge to the Ashley Riverwalk is preliminarily priced about $3 million above the project target and could require a formal change order and a schedule adjustment.
A city presenter told the Charleston City Committee on Traffic and Transportation on July 14 that construction on the Ashley River Crossing (ARC) is approximately two-thirds complete and remains targeted for a fall 2027 completion, while flagging a possible change that could add cost and slip the schedule.
“Construction is approximately two-thirds of the way done,” the staff member said, while noting that an alternate eastern landing — which would tie the ARC into the older, permitted Ashley Riverwalk and improve pedestrian access to Brittlebank Park — is under active review. The contractor, MasTec, provided a preliminary price of roughly $13,000,000 for that alternate, compared with the project team’s original $10,000,000 target for the tie-in, the presenter said.
Michael Darbyon, the ACR project manager who spoke at the committee’s request, described the status of related roadway work: “The slip lane is not — we’re still going through the design review process on that right now, waiting on a final plan submittal from the MasTec team. Then it has to go through DOT encroachment permit as well as the DES permits,” he said.
Staff said HDR, the project consultant, is refining the alternate-landing estimate and that the city expects to receive a formal change-order package in about 90 days. The presenter warned that adopting the alternate could push the finish date beyond fall 2027.
The committee also discussed how the ARC’s western and eastern approaches will connect to existing pathways. Staff explained the city-operated lay-down yard on the West Ashley side will be restored as a park with a redeveloped pathway that ties to Albemarle and the regional Greenway; the eastern landing would meet the peninsula at an area previously permitted for a dock-style riverwalk.
No formal action was taken at the meeting on the alternate landing; staff said a change-order recommendation will return to the committee once HDR and MasTec finalize the estimate and schedule implications.
