Construction of Sams Point Road roundabout to begin next year
State and Beaufort County engineers are planning a roundabout where Sams Point, Holly Hall and Brickyard Point roads intersect on northern Lady's Island.
The $2.45 million project is being designed by the S.C. Department of Transportation and will help the intersection handle traffic from the area's growing communities, according to county traffic engineer Colin Kinton.
The DOT is acquiring rights of way and expects to select a contractor next summer, Kinton said. Construction is expected to take about a year.
County engineers recommended the roundabout several years ago, and the DOT now has the funding, Kinton said. The county intended to pay for it using impact fees collected on new homes built in nearby developments, but the housing market crash all but eliminated that source of funding, he added.
Traffic engineers believe a roundabout is more appropriate for the location than a traditional traffic signal because the circle will allow cars from each direction to circulate more freely and force drivers to stay near the speed limit, Kinton said.
The roundabout will help control traffic as development begins to pick up again, added Jim Hicks, a member of the Lady's Island Business and Professional Association who served 16 years on the county Planning Commission.
The 100-acre Greenheath development, off Brickyard Point Road next to Coosa Elementary School, is authorized to build 300 new homes, which could generate 3,000 additional trips per day at the intersection, Hicks said. More developments planned farther north on Sams Point Road will add dozens more homes in the next few years, he said.
Although some drivers have complained about roundabouts in southern Beaufort County, DOT studies say they are safer than traditional intersections by forcing drivers to slow down and avoid "T-bone" accidents, Kinton said. Traffic circles also have lower maintenance costs, he said.
Hicks expects some residents to oppose a roundabout.
"All of us who work in the planning business, to one degree or another, know the roundabout is a great idea for the long-term," Hicks said. "Oh yes, there are some people who won't want a roundabout, but they don't want a traffic light, either."
Follow reporter Zach Murdock at twitter.com/IPBG_Zach.
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This story was originally published September 8, 2014 at 7:26 PM with the headline "Construction of Sams Point Road roundabout to begin next year."