Charleston Reporter

The state Department of Transportation has recently launched an ongoing online public information meeting for residents to review proposed improvements for the EAST Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) along the Interstate 526 Lowcountry Corridor (I-526 LCC), according to a SCDOT press release.

The meeting, which began Oct. 11, will outline the project's next steps, examine how public participation influenced the concept development and screening process, and gather information on historic or cultural resources and their potential impacts.

"This public information meeting represents a valuable opportunity to receive public input on the potential solutions we are presenting," Joy Riley, SCDOT project manager, said in the release. "With the amount of congestion along this corridor now, further compounded by the current trend of regional growth, it is now more important than ever to find effective solutions."

According to SCDOT, the goal of the upgrades is to increase travel time reliability and decrease congestion along I-526 between Virginia Avenue in North Charleston to US 17 in Mount Pleasant; the corridor is one of South Carolina's busiest interstate routes, passing over major river crossings such as the Don Holt Bridge and the James B. Edwards Bridge.

The online meeting will be accessible until Dec. 1, and can be viewed at 526LowcountryCorridor.com/eastvpim2021.

There will also be two in-person open house public information sessions, where the public may interact with project personnel and examine documents that are currently available on the online meetings, SCDOT said.