West Ashley Capacity Menu
West Ashley Capacity Menu
The primary capacity issue within the West Ashley portion of the study area takes place where SC 61, US 17, and Folly Road meet Wesley Drive.
Traffic bottlenecks at these intersections, increasing congestion and decreasing safety. These intersections are too close together and form the junction of three major roadways. The project team evaluated three potential options to relieve congestion in the area. One is a short-term option that would provide minor traffic relief but could be completed more quickly with a smaller amount of funding. The two long-term options would provide major traffic relief but would take several years to complete and need a large amount of funding.
Please consider the below information about capacity improvements to West Ashley and tell us which of the options you would support. You may support any, all, or none of the following options.
The Short-Term Option - Improve Intersections
Option A
The short-term improvements shown on the aerial photograph below include:
- Reconfiguring SC 61 & Wesley Drive to add turn lanes,
- Adding a fourth northbound lane at the intersection US 17 & Wesley Drive, and
- Adding a fourth northbound lane at Folly Boulevard and Wesley Drive.
The short-term option provides some immediate congestion relief before implementing a long-term solution.
The Long-Term Options - Build an Interchange
Option B
Option B includes a new interchange for the junction of US 17, SC 61, and Folly Road Boulevard as shown on the aerial photograph below. This strategy includes elevating US 17 southbound to Wesley Drive and Folly Road Boulevard, as well as elevating northbound US 17 and Folly Road Boulevard over SC 61. A new frontage road adjacent to northbound Folly Road Boulevard would allow for ground-level intersection with Albemarle Road, which will also allow access to US 17 southbound to/from SC 61.
Option B would result in shorter motorist delay on SC 61 near Wesley Drive and on Wesley Drive between US 17 and SC 61. The new Folly Road Boulevard bridges east of Wesley Drive would have significant impacts to the triangle-shaped section of the Old Windermere neighborhood bordered by US 17 northbound, Wesley Drive northbound, and Folly Road Boulevard southbound.
Option C
Option C proposes a new interchange for the junction of US 17, SC 61, and Folly Road Boulevard as shown on the aerial photograph below. The interchange would encroach into the Old Windermere neighborhood and consist of mainly one level of the bridge structure. The SC 61 southbound-to-US 17 northbound movements would become the only second-level bridge. This option would convert Wesley Drive making it one-way southbound between US 17 and Folly Road Boulevard. This option also limits impacts on the Old Windermere neighborhood.
Summary of Environmental Effects
This table summarizes the environmental effects of the West Ashley Capacity options. In the analysis, the US 17 team considered twenty-nine potential environmental effects. The table summarizes the differences between the three options. The numbers in the table show the estimated number of relocations, acres, or historic properties affected.
West Ashley | ||||||
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| IMPACTS | ||||
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| Option A - Short-term Improvements |
| Option B - Long-term Improvements |
| Option C - Long-term Improvements |
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HUMAN ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS |
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Relocations – residential units |
| 0 |
| 31 |
| 1 |
Relocations – non-residential properties |
| 0 |
| 10 |
| 2 |
Total number of relocations |
| 0 |
| 41 |
| 3 |
Land acquisition (in acres) |
| 0 |
| 14 |
| 8 |
Conservation area |
| 0 |
| 0 |
| 2 |
Schools |
| 0 |
| 0 |
| 0 |
Parks |
| 0 |
| 0 |
| 0 |
Greenways |
| 1 |
| 0 |
| 1 |
Community Facilities |
| 0 |
| 0 |
| 0 |
Neighborhood Cohesion |
| Positive New Sidewalks |
| Negative |
| Negative |
Environmental Justice |
| No |
| No |
| No |
Historic Architectural Resources |
| 1 |
| 1 |
| 2 |
Archeological Resources |
| 0 |
| 0 |
| 0 |
Compatibility with zoning and land use plan |
| Yes |
| Yes |
| Yes |
Traffic noise |
| No change |
| Increases |
| Increases |
Visual / Aesthetic |
| The landscape will change some |
| The landscape will change a lot |
| The landscape will change a lot |
Recognized Environmental Conditions (RECs) |
| 3 |
| 4 |
| 5 |
Permits needed |
| No |
| Yes |
| Yes |
Construction cost – opinion of probable cost |
| $3,000,000 |
| $175,000,000 |
| $175,000,000 |
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NATURAL ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS |
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Threatened Endangered Species |
| No Effect |
| No Effect |
| No Effect |
Essential Fish Habitat |
| No habitat will be disturbed |
| Some habitat will be disturbed |
| More habitat will be disturbed |
Section 404 Waters of the US – wetlands |
| No Effect |
| No Effect |
| No Effect |
Section 404 Waters of the US – streams |
| No Effect |
| No Effect |
| No Effect |
Land and Water Conservation Fund sites (section 6f) |
| No Effect |
| No Effect |
| No Effect |
US Navigable Waters – rivers and open water |
| No Effect |
| No Effect |
| No Effect |
US Navigable Waters – critical area wetlands |
| 0 Acres |
| 2 Acres |
| 5 Acres |
Prime Farmland |
| 0 Acres |
| 0 Acres |
| 0 Acres |