North end Hilton Head gas station on US 278 has been demolished. What’s taking its place?
A Circle K gas station on Hilton Head Island’s north end near the airport has been demolished. Drivers last week noticed large piles of rubble where the convenience center once stood, and the surrounding lot has been cleared.
What’s taking its place?
A stake in the ground in a future rivalry.
The gas station is being replaced by a new Circle K with upgrades so that it can compete with a Parker’s Kitchen that’s planned for directly across the street in Sea Turtle Marketplace.
Circle K was denied an extra lane on U.S. 278 in summer 2019 that would have made the gas station easier to access for westbound traffic while closing a median cut on Mathews Drive.
Accessibility on Mathews Drive is important because a new gas station will be competitive.
The future Parker’s gas station will be the first gas station on the island that eastbound traffic will be able to turn right into and out of without crossing westbound traffic.
That’s significant for visitors arriving during peak tourism season and heading to mid-island communities like Palmetto Dunes or Folly Field. Currently, the first right-in, right-out gas station for eastbound traffic isn’t until the Shelter Cove area.
Circle K will be replaced by a convenience store and six stalls for gas pumps. The renovation plans do not have an updated completion date.
The Parker’s gas station, which has yet to be built, was approved by the Town of Hilton Head Island Design Review Board in August.
