Mt. Pleasant, S.C. (WCIV) — Drivers heading for North Charleston from Mt. Pleasant have been bottle-necking on the Ravenel Bridge to catch I-26 westbound, having to merge into the far right lane to connect to the busy interstate.
Today, officials are making two lanes from the Ravenel Bridge connect to the busy interstate.
“Both center lanes on the Ravenel Bridge go westbound,” The Mt. Pleasant Police Department wrote on social media along with photos of officer putting up traffic cones to re-route traffic.
Traffic cones are splitting the center lane into two lanes.
The ramp modification will be implemented during peak traffic hours in the morning and afternoon, according to the Town of Mt Pleasant. It will begin Thursday at 2:30 p.m.
This comes after the emergency shutdown of the Wando Bridge westbond, a portion of I-526. Officials with the South Carolina Department of Transportation announced yesterday the bridge would remain closed for repairs for four weeks.
“We believe that this ramp modification will promote improved traffic flow westbound onto I-26, while at the same time developing new transportation patterns until the Wando River Bridge reopens on June 11,” said Mt. Pleasant Mayor Will Haynie.
The implementation was made with the input of Mount Pleasant and Charleston Police and Fire chiefs,along with Transportation and Emergency Management staff and the South Carolina Departmentof Transportation.
Motorists are urged to exercise caution while travelling on newly patterned roadways.
For more information on the Wando River Bridge and traffic patterns, visit tompsc.com.