More lanes, more traffic signals coming to 278 near bridge on Hilton Head

Heavy traffic getting on and off of Hilton Head Island might become less of an issue now that a project to widen a portion of U.S. 278 was given final approval.

Hilton Head Town Council approved the project in a 6 to 1 vote at its Tuesday meeting, with council member Marc Grant opposed. The project will widen the roadway from four to six lanes on Jenkins Island — a 1.05-mile tract from the foot of the J. Wilton Graves Bridge to the causeway onto Hilton Head.

The goal of the $7.4 million project is to improve safety and efficiency on 278, according to a previous presentation by Colin Kinton, the Beaufort County transportation engineer director, to the town’s Planning Commission. While not a cure-all, the project would alleviate some of the heavy congestion in the area, he said.

Jenkins Island, which includes Windmill Harbour and the Hilton Head RV Resort and Marina, is split between the Town of Hilton Head and unincorporated Beaufort County.

The project will be paid for by the county, which approved a bond to finance it more than a year ago, Kinton said previously.

Kinton said Tuesday construction would likely begin around September.

Josh Gruber, interim Beaufort County administrator, said discussions of this project began in the early 2000s.

“I can tell you that the reason we need to go forward with this project today is because of the safety concerns,” Gruber said at Tuesday’s meeting. “This project represents the best way to address those concerns in a manner that is not only practical but is realistic in terms of funding.”

At its Tuesday meeting, Town Council also dedicated a 4.7-acre tract of land to the S.C. Department of Transportation for the widening project. In return for the land, Beaufort County agrees to compensate the town for the cost of designing and constructing eastbound and westbound multi-use pathways and landscaping within the project’s limits, according to town documents.

Town manager Steve Riley said Tuesday the town still must approve an ordinance to officially dedicate the land to the SCDOT.

In addition to widening the lanes, the project will:

▪  Close current median crossovers – one at the entrance to Windmill Harbour and one at the entrance to the Hilton Head RV Resort and Marina

▪  Partially close the median crossover at Blue Heron Point Road to prevent left turns onto 278 heading off the island

▪  Build a new median crossover 600 feet east of Jenkins Road

▪  Construct “bulb-outs” for U-turns at Blue Heron Point Road and Jenkins Road

▪  Install two traffic signals. One eastbound signal will be installed just before Blue Heron Point Road, affecting traffic going onto the island. The westbound signal will be placed just before Jenkins Road and affect traffic going off the island.

According to town documents, the new signals will reroute left-turns to U-turns, which will reduce congestion for through traffic and reduce the possibility of collisions.

According to an analysis by town staff, 79 accidents have happened in the project’s area over the past three years with at least one of them a fatality.

Kinton said previously Beaufort County and SCDOT were discussing lowering the speed limit on Jenkins Island from 50 miles per hour to 45 mph.

This story was originally published February 20, 2018 at 7:35 PM with the headline "More lanes, more traffic signals coming to 278 near bridge on Hilton Head."