Bluffton pumps the brakes, scales back traffic circle upgrades

Bluffton is pumping the brakes on a plan to make a town traffic circle safer and more attractive.

For months, town staff and members of the Beautification Committee have been planning to add trees, lighting and signage to the circle at the intersection of Bluffton Road and Bluffton Parkway.

The additions would not only liven up the mostly barren circle, but also make it more visible, they say.

It would also encourage drivers to slow down when approaching the intersection and keep them from plowing straight through, town planners and committee members have said.

But because the intersection is a S.C. Department of Transportation roadway, any changes to the circle must be approved by the state -- and that hasn't happened.

The town applied for a permit late last year to begin adding ornamental trees such as crepe myrtles and magnolias.

But the types of trees proposed by the town would be too tall, SCDOT engineer Kirk Richards said Friday.

"The trees would have been in the sight line for drivers and that would be a safety issue," he said.

Adding lighting and signage could also be problematic.

"You don't want any glare (from the lights) getting the drivers' eyes" as they enter the circle, Richards said.

And "affixed objects" such as a sign welcoming drivers to the Old Town area, could also "become a safety problem" if a vehicle were to collide with it, he said.

While the originally proposed circle improvements must be scaled back, the project isn't being scrapped completely.

Because the state has determined that "the view through the circle can't be obstructed", plants taller than three feet -- such as the proposed crepe myrtles and magnolias -- "will probably be eliminated from the plan," town growth management director Kendra Lelie said.

"The Beautification Committee is still pursuing landscape improvements to the circle; however it will be limited to a few ornamental trees, low shrubs, groundcover and perennials," she said.

Staff and committee members are in the process of developing a scaled back plan for the circle.

"We should have (an updated proposal from the town) this coming week," Richards said.

The improvements were initially expected to cost between $20,000 and $30,000, with much of that expense due to a new landscape irrigation system.

While there are not yet specific cost estimates, the scaled back project will likely come with a significantly lower price tag.

The town has about $15,000 budgeted this fiscal year for improvements at the circle.

Follow reporter Lucas High on Twitter at twitter.com/IPBG_Lucas.

Related content:

• Bluffton panel to make traffic circle's 'look' a priority, Aug. 20, 2015
• Rules of the road: Experts give tips on navigating Beaufort County's traffic circles, Aug. 25, 2015

This story was originally published January 22, 2016 at 3:16 PM with the headline "Bluffton pumps the brakes, scales back traffic circle upgrades."