The Transformation of Johns Island’s Infrastructure By Interconnected Roads
Johns Island, located just 20 minutes from downtown Charleston, has historically been marked by a scarcity of interconnected roads, making it onerous for residents to visit neighboring communities and local businesses without utilizing major throughfares such as Maybank Highway. This scenario is gradually changing, as the city of Charleston has made concerted efforts since 2007 to incorporate interconnected roads within new subdivisions to improve transportation efficacy.
The Need for the Change
New development has been revolutionizing the landscape of Maybank Highway. However, this development prompts concerns about escalating traffic, which already plagues the thoroughfare during peak hours. Given the planned key projects along this route, stakeholders and officials have been actively pursuing solutions to mitigate these traffic woes. The city of Charleston has accordingly been compelling builders to establish roads that interconnect with neighboring subdivisions, thus reducing the dependency on the bustling Maybank Highway.
Planned Development
New distinct projects planned along Maybank Highway between River Road and Main Road include a free-standing emergency room proposed by Trident Health, a medical park housing doctor’s offices, Low Tide Brewery’s relocation to a sprawling brewery campus with event space, a Spinx gas station at Maybank Village, Rhett’s Cove, a residential-commercial project featuring 59 residences, as well as commercial and restaurant spaces fronting Maybank Highway, and Hayes Park, a mixed-use community with 55 units and commercial space fronting Maybank Highway. Moreover, the city is in line to get a new fire station and a city park behind the Island School, while a novel elementary school is being constructed on River Road.
Addressing Traffic Concerns
To lessen the mounting traffic concerns, developers have been mandated to build interconnecting roads to near subdivisions. This will be bolstered by the Johns Island Community Greenways Plan by the city of Charleston, which envisions the addition of walking trails and interconnected roads. Working in unison, these plans should aid in alleviating the traffic concerns on Maybank Highway.
Origins of Connected Road Networks
The idea of an interconnected road system for Johns Island goes back to the 1980s. Barry Whalen, President of HLA—a renowned land planning, landscape architecture, wetland permitting, and civil engineering survey firm—claims that the firm had proposed an interconnected road system, spurring the concept during Whalen’s original dialogue with developers on land planning issues.
Whalen cites that the success of the community hinges on how to manage growth responsibly as the island is still in the growth phase. The impending interconnected road system should finally provide a sustainable community circulation framework and contribute to responsible growth management.
