hwy 17

U.S 17 / SC 61 / Wesley Drive Improvements Project

Project Description

The primary purpose of the project is to ease congestion, enhance accessibility and improve traffic flow at the junction of these heavily traveled roadways. The project involves improvements to Folly Road starting just south of Windermere Boulevard and continuing up Wesley Drive to St. Andrews Boulevard (SC 61) for a total project length of 0.184 miles. The major components of the project are as follows:

New turn lanes:
- The northbound approach of Folly Road at Windermere Boulevard will be altered to include a dedicated left-turn lane into Windermere Boulevard.
- The remaining lanes will be altered to provide for:
  - A dedicated through lane to Wesley Drive;
  - Shared through lane to Wesley Drive and Folly Road Boulevard (Folly Road Boulevard is the portion of roadway between Wesley Drive and US 17 heading toward the Ashley River bridges from James Island); and a
  - Dedicated through lane to Folly Road Boulevard.
Wesley Drive between Folly Road and Savannah Highway will be reconstructed, and new curbs, gutters, catch basins and sidewalks will be included.
Drop inlets (a drainage box with a grate on top through which stormwater can enter and be carried away in a pipe underground), will be placed behind the sidewalk to improve drainage on the adjacent properties.
The existing sidewalks on Folly Road Boulevard will be replaced for a distance of approximately 1,100 feet, and new ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant curb ramps will be constructed throughout the project limits.
The project limits on Folly Road and Wesley Drive will be resurfaced.
New striping will be provided and will include improved markings on the pavement for the cross walks.
The portions of the sidewalk that will carry the West Ashley Greenway down Folly Road to the cross walk at Windermere Boulevard will be widened from five feet to 10 feet to accommodate both pedestrian and bicycle traffic.
The existing cross walk at Wesley Drive and St. Andrews Boulevard will be relocated to shorten the pedestrian crossing distance and a pedestrian refuge will be provided. A pedestrian refuge is a place in the road, usually in a raised median, where a pedestrian can stop while crossing the road and be somewhat protected from oncoming traffic
Traffic signal upgrades will be made at the intersections of Folly Road at Windermere Boulevard, Folly Road at Wesley Drive, Wesley Drive at Savannah Highway, and Wesley Drive at St. Andrews Boulevard. The new signals will include pedestrian hand/man signal heads for the improved cross walks that will be provided with the project.
Protection of the numerous grand trees that line Wesley Drive and US 17 (Savannah Highway) within the project limits.
Landscaping along Wesley Drive and portions of Folly Road, and improved landscaping for the large island at the intersection of Folly Road and Wesley Drive.

Public Meetings

First Public Meeting - July 27, 2006

The goal of the first meeting was to solicit public input regarding the public's opinion and concern about the current problems and possible solutions. Comments obtained at the first meeting were combined with results of traffic analysis and were used to develop several improvement concept alternatives which were presented at the second public meeting.

Second Public Meeting - Nov. 16, 2006

The second public meeting was held at St. Andrews Elementary School, with 51 citizens in attendance. Five alternatives were presented, and the public was given the opportunity to comment on the alternatives with a comment form that was distributed at the meeting. The comment period for this meeting closed on Nov. 30, 2007.

Third Public Meeting - March 22, 2007

At the second public meeting, the public preferred Alternative C. The preferred improvement was further refined based on citizen comments and presented at the third public meeting held at St. Andrews Elementary School The modified Alternative C was presented to the 67 citizens in attendance.

Comments received from the third public meeting

Citizens are encouraged to continue to comment; however, comments received after March 29, 2007, are not included on the Public Comment Summary Report for the third public meeting.

Project Documents

Traffic volume for the project area

Average Daily Traffic Volume for the project area