20 Sep Boundary Street shifts lanes starting Sept. 26 as utility work moves to northern side
NEWS RELEASE
Monday, Sept. 19, 2016
Contact: Sammy Negron, Project Manager Consultant, 843-263-6843
Photos: Illustration of new Boundary Street near Hogarth upon completion
Boundary Street shifts lanes starting Sept. 26 as utility work moves to northern side
Beginning Monday, Sept. 26, 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 lane shifts. Left turns will continue to be restricted to controlled intersections along the 1.2 miles of the Boundary Street Improvement Project.
Work to prepare for the lane shifts is scheduled to start Monday, Sept. 26 – weather permitting – and is expected to continue most of the week.
“Before we move the barrels and shift traffic, our contractor needs to add asphalt to level off parts of the southern side of the road,” said Sammy Negron, the city’s manager for Boundary Street. “Once those areas are leveled, we will shift the traffic lanes and restripe the road.
“We really want people to be aware as they drive through the construction zone, and be prepared to stop or to slow down,” he said. “We take safety very seriously and we have a lot of construction workers on the side of the road.”
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 and will be completed in phases, starting at the realigned intersection at Robert Smalls Parkway. 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.