"It's going to be an uncomfortable three months, and I apologize in advance for that," Berkeley County Councilman Jarrod Brooks told almost 80 residents at the Daniel Island Neighborhood Association meeting on Sept. 9. "But all good progress has its painful ends."
He was talking about the roundabout that will replace the four-way signals at Seven Farms Drive and River Landing Drive. The roundabout is only half of what's happening at that corner this fall. Two separate projects, paid for by two separate sources, are rebuilding the same intersection from opposite sides. The pedestrian side goes first. The driving side gets its hardest weeks once the walkers have their route back.
The boardwalk goes first
Starting Monday, Oct. 5, the trail and boardwalk along River Landing Drive between Fairchild Drive and Seven Farms Drive will close for about six weeks, weather permitting. The Daniel Island Town Association is paying for the work with funding from the Daniel Island Community Fund. Its notice describes the stretch as one that "sees a lot of foot traffic, bikes, strollers, and dog walks every day," worn down by years of heavy use and coastal weather. The association asks people to stay behind the posted barriers and not walk around them while crews work.
The boardwalk closure ends right where the roundabout begins. Its eastern end sits at Seven Farms Drive, the intersection now being rebuilt. So the walking route that feeds into the corner and the corner itself will be torn up at the same time.
Six weeks from Oct. 5 puts the reopening around mid-November if the weather cooperates. That date matters because of what the county has scheduled for right after it.
Drivers get the harder half later
Berkeley County Council awarded the roundabout contract to Blythe Development LLC of Charlotte, North Carolina, on July 27 for $2,569,097.76. The full project costs about $3.4 million and is paid for through the Berkeley County One Cent Sales Tax Program. The idea has been around for a while. Lawmakers have fielded questions about this intersection since 2015, when talk of adding a turn lane turned into talk of a traffic circle.
Here is the sequence Brooks laid out at the Sept. 9 meeting, set beside the boardwalk dates:
- Week of Sept. 13: The state transportation department was scheduled to start mobilizing. That was the plan as of the September meeting, and the reporting doesn't say whether work actually began that week.
- Next: Utility work and construction around the outside edges of the intersection.
- Oct. 5: The River Landing boardwalk closes for about six weeks.
- Around mid-November: The boardwalk is due to reopen, weather permitting.
- Late November into early January: The roundabout itself takes shape.
- Through Jan. 23: Final improvements, weather permitting.
Pedestrians lose their route during the preparation phase, when crews are mostly working the edges. The phase that reshapes the intersection drivers use starts roughly when the boardwalk reopens. Brooks said the intersection will stay passable the whole time, with crews building the outside lanes first.
A lot of traffic depends on this corner. Off-ramp traffic from I-526 westbound out of Mount Pleasant and I-526 eastbound out of North Charleston feeds straight into it every day. Lines of cars regularly back up on both sides of Seven Farms Drive during the morning and evening rush. Charleston Fire Department Station 18 and Charleston Police Team Patrol 5 are less than a block away, and emergency access was one of the concerns raised before work began.
There is a second, later date to keep in mind. When the contract was awarded, The Daniel Island News reported that Blythe has 180 days to finish once construction begins, which would mean completion around next May at the latest. Jan. 23 is the working schedule. May is the outer limit in the contract.
What hasn't been decided yet
Brooks said in early September that he didn't have answers to many of the open questions yet. He expected them to be settled before contractors started work. The latest reporting, from Sept. 15, still doesn't settle these three:
- Cut-through traffic. Two neighborhoods raised concerns that drivers would avoid the work zone by cutting behind the condos at 254 Seven Farms Drive or through the large parking lot behind the 225 Seven Farms Drive office and residential building. At the September meeting, Brooks said officials would monitor cut-through driving. No specific measure to stop it has been announced.
- Access to 211 River Landing Drive. Posh Nail Lounge and the Daniel Island Barbershop sit on a one-way street that customers use for parking. A new concrete median will run from the roundabout down Seven Farms toward Bishop England, which would cut off access under the current routing. "We will probably end up reversing traffic to make their businesses more accessible," Brooks said. That was described as likely in September, not final.
- Crossings during construction. People raised questions about how stop-and-go roadwork will affect crosswalks for pedestrians and cyclists. Brooks mentioned a nearby daycare that uses the intersection to reach the waterfront and the park and said its staff would be kept informed.
The 211 River Landing question will outlast the construction. A median and a reversed one-way street would change how people get to those two businesses permanently, not just until January.
October weekends on the island
Several dates on the island calendar fall inside the stretch when the boardwalk is closed and crews are working around the intersection:
| Date | Event | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 5, 7 a.m. | The Swing ticket sales open | Same morning the boardwalk closes |
| Oct. 17, 7 p.m. | The Red Clay Strays, Grateful Tour | Credit One Stadium |
| Oct. 23, 8 p.m. | Johnny Blue Skies & the Dark Clouds | Credit One Stadium |
| Oct. 25, 4:30–7:30 p.m. | Pumpkin Walk & Halloween Bash | Free, at Smythe Park, with food trucks and themed stops |
| Oct. 26 | The Swing | Annual charity event with golf, tennis, pickleball and a live auction |
Parking near the water was already a concern before any of this. DINA President Nick Kalkas presented a 50-day study at the September meeting. Volunteers counted 332 public spaces within a quarter mile of Waterfront Park, not including the 107 spaces in the privately owned gravel lot that is headed toward redevelopment as a boutique hotel. Normal weekday and weekend demand fits without that lot. During big events like the Acoustic Guitar Series or the Charleston Charity Duck Race, demand already exceeds supply.
What the finished corner adds for walkers
The project spends money on pedestrians, not just cars. Plans include median landscaping and rapid-flashing pedestrian beacons on every approach to the circle. In the center will stand a 40-foot flagpole with an American flag. The flag, an LED spotlight and ongoing upkeep will be privately funded, at an expected cost of about $20,000.
The work also connects to other walking upgrades. The city is moving ahead with pedestrian and crosswalk improvements at Island Park Drive and Central Island Street, and at Seven Farms Drive and Pier View Street. At the September meeting, Mayor William Cogswell also suggested a public pier near the Daniel Island Recreation Center, linked to existing trails and parking. That idea has only been floated. No schedule or budget has been announced.
If both projects stay on schedule, the River Landing boardwalk reopens in mid-November with repairs meant to last for years. The new crossings with flashing beacons at the end of it should be finished by late January, or by May at the latest.
The changes at Seven Farms and River Landing will affect more than your commute. A new median and a possible one-way reversal change how people reach the shops on that block, and the island's walking routes are being rebuilt around them. If you're thinking about how changes like these might affect your home's value or your plans on the island, Smith Spencer Real Estate follows these projects closely and is glad to talk it through. Contact Us.
