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CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - After several years of planning and preparation, construction is set to begin this month on the Glenn McConnell Parkway widening project.
The project, which has been in the works since 2016, extends from Magwood Drive to the intersection of Bees Ferry and will take Glenn McConnell from four lanes to six lanes, according to Charleston County.
In the next couple of weeks, drivers should expect to see crews on site working along the sides of the road, construction project manager Herbert Nimz says. All lane closures, however, will happen at night.
The entire three-phase project should be finished within about 2 years, Nimz says.
Some of the major improvements coming with the project include stoplight upgrades at the three intersections that are already along Glenn McConnell, as well as a new stoplight at Essex Farms Drive, according to the county.
There will also be seven new bus stops and shelters, a 10-foot-wide path for cyclists and pedestrians, drainage improvements and upgraded landscaping.
This widening project serves multiple purposes and has local and regional significance, Nimz says.
“The purpose is to relieve congestion along that corridor and then improve bike and pedestrian access from Bees Ferry to Magwood,” he says. “There are existing pedestrian facilities there at Bees Ferry, so we’re putting in a scenic, multi-use path that connects Bees Ferry to Magwood so we can get some increased pedestrian use and bike [use].”
Nimz encourages drivers to go slowly and be patient when on Glenn McConnell while the project is underway.
The county approved $25 million from the 2016 Transportation Sales Tax to pay for the design and construction of the project, according to Charleston County.
To find more details on the project or to contact the county, visit the Glenn McConnell Parkway Widening project website.
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