Drivers have a few more months of rough rides on Cross Island Parkway. Here’s an update
Drivers on Hilton Head have wondered when the rough road surface on Cross Island Parkway would be repaved. Their prayers will be answered, but not until the fall.
Construction on the Cross Island Parkway, including a fresh new layer of pavement, is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, according to Pete Poore, a spokesperson for the South Carolina Department of Transportation.
Commutes could become much smoother beginning late October, when the final step of the repaving process is scheduled to begin.
The road will be repaved from the Marshland interchange to the beginning of the bridge above Broad Creek, as well as in other areas. Drivers can expect smoother, repaved roads on 3.26 miles of the 7.5-mile parkway. A number of ramps are also being repaved, bringing the total to just under six miles of new pavement.
Due to the construction, drivers should expect temporary nighttime lane closures between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m., Poore said.
Drivers might experience varying levels of turbulence throughout the repavement process, Poore explained, because the layers of asphalt are placed in stages. The pavement’s “intermediate course,” which is currently being installed, has a rougher texture and will likely lead to a rougher ride, he said.
Soon the contractor will install a final layer, or “top lift,” with a smooth riding surface.
“Please bear with us,” Poore said. “Once the entire project is complete, we will have a smooth ride for years to come.”
SCDOT began collecting tolls upon the parkway’s opening in 1998, in order to repay the $25.9 million in bonds that were issued to build the road. After the debt was settled last June, tolls were discontinued, and the toll plaza was demolished May 2022.
The parkway’s customer service center, located adjacent to the road in the former toll plaza area, will remain standing and will be transferred to the Town of Hilton Head once the project is complete.
The town currently has no initial plans for the building’s future usage, but the space will be used for “public purposes,” according to deputy town manager Josh Gruber.
This story was originally published July 28, 2022 at 4:55 AM.
