16 Oct Southside Boulevard in Beaufort to see mile-long sidewalk project start in winter
Since I have been Mayor it seems we have done a lot of planning and saving dollars to leverage against grants and intergovernmental funding to take care of significant infrastructure needs. As an impatient person, I have felt it has been years that we have waited and waited and waited and the citizens have been very patient. Thank you.
Plans and dollars are now in place and we are about to launch a number of projects: Boundary Street Redevelopment, Allison Road Stormwater Project with Spanish Moss Trail connector to Beaufort Memorial Hospital, the day dock and south side drainage and sidewalk project which now has a start date. The fire station is under construction and on budget. BK
NEWS RELEASE FROM CITY OF BEAUFORT
BEAUFORT - Southside Boulevard in Beaufort to see mile-long sidewalk project start in winter.
A mile of Southside Boulevard in Beaufort’s Mossy Oaks neighborhood will soon have sidewalks to improve safety, especially for children who walk to school.
The “Southside Sidewalk” project includes constructing a sidewalk along the north side of the road from Ribaut Road to Battery Creek Road, approximately one mile. The work includes minor improvement to drainage, waterline relocations, grading, handicap improvements at all intersections, and landscaping.
“This is a relatively small project in terms of cost and scope, but a relatively large project in terms of what it means to the residents of Southside Boulevard and Mossy Oaks,” Beaufort City Manager Bill Prokop said. “Future improvements to Southside Park will make this sidewalk a good investment.”
Children in the Mossy Oaks area are served by Mossy Oaks Elementary and Beaufort Middle School, both on Mossy Oaks Road. The elementary school, in particular, has large numbers of students who walk or ride bikes each day. Southside Sidewalk project is under final review by the S.C. Department of Transportation and state permits are expected soon, said Lamar Taylor, director of public works for Beaufort. Utility companies also are checking the sidewalk plans in case there are any conflicts between the construction project and underground or overhead utilities.
Once the permitting is complete, the City of Beaufort will put the construction project out for bids. The tentative schedule anticipates starting the project in December, Taylor said, with completion in late spring 2016.
Final costs won’t be known until bids are received and a contract awarded; however, the County Transportation Committee has committed $130,000 toward the cost of the project, Prokop said.