30 Sep Boundary Street lane shift to start Monday Oct. 3 as utility work moves to northern side
NEWS RELEASE
Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016
Contact: Sammy Negron, Project Manager Consultant, 843-263-6843
Boundary Street lane shift to start Monday Oct. 3 as utility work moves to northern side
Monday morning, Oct. 3, crews will begin the process of shifting traffic lanes to the southern side of Boundary Street heading into downtown Beaufort. Four lanes of traffic will remain open.
The shift will create additional work area for crews to continue the process of building an underground duct bank to carry power and communications cabling that currently hangs from poles. The duct bank on the southern side of Boundary Street is complete and cables are being installed in the underground conduit.
Drivers are urged to use extra caution during this week’s changes to the traffic pattern. Weather permitting, the work is expected to be completed by Friday, Oct. 8. The lane shifts will include the area between Neil Road and Greenlawn Drive.
Left turns will continue to be restricted to controlled intersections along the mile-long section of the Boundary Street Improvement Project.
“The recent rains delayed this work, but it looks like we are clear to go now,” said Sammy Negron, the city’s manager for Boundary Street. “There will be some temporary paving done to allow for the lane shift, and our crews will re-stripe the road as the lane shifts happen.
“We are asking that drivers use extra caution through the Boundary Street work zone, especially during this lane shift,” Negron said. “Four lanes will still be open to traffic and the changes will be clearly marked. Just slow down, be alert and be prepared to stop.”
By shifting the traffic lanes, construction can continue on Boundary Street with all four lanes open – two inbound to Beaufort and the Sea Islands and two outbound toward US 17 and I-95.
Construction along Boundary Street started in January. In early August, the new intersection of Boundary and Robert Smalls Parkway opened, though work continues in that area. A new road, First Street, is also under construction beside Chick fil-A.
The project runs from Neil Road to Greenlawn Drive. The work of moving utility lines underground into a duct bank will extend along Boundary from Neil Road to Ribaut Road.
When completed, Boundary Street will remain a four-lane roadway but will feature improved intersections with traffic signals; left-turn lanes; and landscaped middle median; and wider sidewalks and pathways for pedestrians.
This is part of the “complete streets” effort to enable safe access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities. The project is scheduled for completion in 2018.
For more information, visit www.boundarystreetupdate.com.