Hilton Head workshop advances William Hilton Parkway master plan, seeks funding path

Town staff and consultants presented an updated master plan for the William Hilton Parkway gateway corridor on July 28, reviewing traffic counts, crash heat maps and a phased list of engineering improvements intended to reduce collisions and improve on‑island mobility. Town Manager Orlando told the workshop the goal is to reach clear direction so staff can pursue funding and bring a resolution to council in August.

Brian Kinzelman of MKSK, the lead consultant, framed the project as "more than a roadway" and described the approach as a parkway that must respect the Stoney historic neighborhood and environmental resources while improving safety, pedestrian access and emergency evacuation routes. "This is more than a roadway," Kinzelman said. "It is a parkway, and it is our gateway into the island." The consultant team proposed a phased program that includes a continuous green‑T signal configuration at Squire Pope and Chamberlain, added-turn lanes at Spanish Wells/Wildhorse, a dedicated pedestrian/bicycle crossing (bridge or underpass), streetscape work and an eventual flyover option to remove the Spanish Wells signal.

Traffic consultant Dylan Turner (Kimley Horn) summarized updated SCDOT station counts and microsimulation results, saying the corridor hotspots at Squire Pope and Spanish Wells show heavy queuing and that nearly half of crashes in those locations are rear‑end collisions. He showed model runs in which on‑island traffic is kept free‑flowing under the continuous green‑T concept while left turns are reconfigured and pedestrians are separated by grade or bridge. Turner cautioned that datasets differ by collection method and seasonality, so some metrics vary across studies.

The presentation included a feasibility‑level cost summary of roughly $126 million in 2025 dollars for the full package, with staff and consultants stressing phased delivery: shorter‑term baseline fixes (added turning lanes, signal retiming and sidewalks) could be advanced while larger projects—such as a flyover and bridge‑related connections—require engineering, permitting and likely NEPA processes. "Some of these large projects may be a 5‑ to 7‑year proposition," a staff member said, adding that federal or state funding would involve additional environmental review and public comment periods.

Council members generally signaled support for moving the plan forward to a resolution that would direct staff to refine phasing, search for funding sources and continue coordination with Beaufort County and SCDOT. Several council members and residents asked staff to include specifics in the resolution about coordination commitments, funding strategy (including local options such as TIF or the recently enabled local sales tax authority, SB866), and short‑term deliverables that could be funded in FY28. The town manager said early projects already appear in the capital program and that staff will bring a resolution for council consideration.