Chimney Sweep in James Island, SC

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - The Charleston County Council approved a contract for some road and drainage improvements on James Island and now leaders are working to find the best way to tackle the project and keep the community informed.

The Central Park Road Improvements Project is a $2,718,669 project that will impact the portion of Central Park Road between Riverland Drive and Fleming Road, a heavily traveled area that is consistently flooded by tide water.

This has been in the works since 2019. Just last week, the county awarded a contract to Truluck Construction.

The City of Charleston worked with Charleston County to conduct drainage studies on this area.

They found that the flooding was significant and, not only inconvenient to those who frequent the area, but also dangerous.

This only getting worse as the area is experiencing an immense amount of growth with new developments popping up all along Central Park Road.

They found that this area in particular is a low-lying area and its proximity to the water and the drainage patterns cause severe flooding.

Where the flooding typically takes place is along a curved portion of the road that is already dangerous when dry and driving through just six inches of flood water can cause a loss of control and possible stalling, according to the National Weather Service. Not only that, but tide water can severely damage and corrode a vehicle.

Charleston County Councilwoman for District 9, Jenny Costa Honeycutt, shared how they plan to resolve this issue of flooding.

“This is one of those areas in Charleston County where on a sunny day… you would actually have to close this road on a king tide because water is topping the road. So, we’ve been working for several years on a solution and have finally reached a contract to raise the road so that the grade is higher than the area of water around it,” she said.

In addition to raising the road two feet, they will install three new upsized drainage pipes that will measure 48 inches in diameter. These new pipes will be outfitted with two tide gates and one tidal check valve to block incoming tides that exceed normal high tide elevations.

These measures will prevent roadway flooding and provide greater flow capacity by increasing stormwater storage upstream and allowing continual saltwater exchange through the crossing.

This road is a major thoroughfare for many drivers, even connecting Johns Island residents to the James Island Connector. Traffic is only increasing as the area grows.

This project will take about a year to complete, so Honeycutt says that they are currently working on a plan to do so with minimal inconvenience to the users of the road. She says they are actively working to notify the surrounding neighborhoods so that everyone understands how their travel patterns will be impacted.

While the road will not be closed for the entirety of the project, it will be closed for portions of it and sometimes those will happen at the same time closures take place for the Woodland Shores Sidewalk project which might be an alternate route for some drivers.

Honeycutt says they will ensure that everyone is prepared and understands the potential impacts to their driving routes. Overall, she believes the project will be for the greater good of the drivers in the area once it is completed.

“This project is going to benefit the community in multiple ways. For one, you won’t see as much of that sunny day closure of this road. It will improve the road itself. This road is somewhat dangerous on this curve, and it will just make it easier for the many folks who are traveling up and down this road daily to get to and from their destination,” she said.

As County leaders finalize their timeline for the project, they are also planning public meetings for the community to come out, ask questions and be fully informed of the closures and timeline, which will take place before construction begins. Those dates have not yet been determined.

Construction is set to begin in the next two to three months.

Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.

JAMES ISLAND — For years, residents have worried about the extreme flooding on the heavily traveled Central Park Road.

The route sees 7,800 vehicles every day, according to the S.C. Department of Transportation. It's considered an alternative to Interstate 526 for Johns Island residents, County Councilwoman Jenny Costa Honeycutt said. But when high tides cause the city to shut it down it leaves many drivers scrambling to find another way to their destination, she said.

Charleston County plans to alleviate the flooding by elevating Central Park Road by two feet between Riverland Drive and Fleming Road, as well as install three additional pipes with tidal gates and valves that block floodwater from exceeding normal high tide elevations and redirect it. County Council awarded a $2.7 million contract to Truluck Construction at their Feb. 25 meeting.

John Prorock, county stormwater project manager, said during high tides, the James Island Creek completely floods Central Park Road between Riverland Drive and Fleming Road. The new project is designed to eliminate flooding for a 25-year storm event.

Resident Dana Blake has lived on Central Park Road and can attest to the severity of the flooding. She's seen firsthand the severity of floods during high tides. She's even seen the alligator that lives in the nearby James Island Creek cross the road whenever it floods.

Ashley Jordan, another resident, said she takes Central Park Road if she has to go to work in downtown Charleston after dropping her kids off at Murray-LaSaine Montessori School. When the road floods, the water often rises high enough to cover the tires of her car.

She often sees drivers try and maneuver their way off the road onto Riverland Drive when this happens, causing more traffic.

Prorock said the road project is just one identified in a study the city of Charleston did in 2020 on the Central Park drainage basin, a flood-prone area. He said the city and county are both working on projects to help alleviate the flooding in this area.

Matt Fountain, the city of Charleston's director of stormwater management, said the city has received several reports of flooding on Central Park Road, dating back to 2015.

He said the city is getting permits to upsize culverts along the Wimbledon-Marlboro Canal — the drainage canal that runs behind homes on East Wimbledon Drive, across Central Park Road, and into James Island Creek — which will help flooding on the other side of Central Park Road. The city will also stabilize the canal banks to prevent soil erosion by rebuilding the bottom and slope of the canal with geofabric liners, and install tidal gates and valves.

The project the county is working on will be incredibly beneficial, Fountain said.

"That section of Central Park Road literally goes underwater at tide...which makes it basically undrivable," he said.

Fountain added the drainage project will help several streets off Central Park Road that also experience heavy flooding.

Prorock said the county expects to break ground on the project by this summer and have it completed by summer 2026.

JOHN ISLAND — A combination of soaring construction prices and a road plan many residents opposed have put a significant Johns Island artery project on hold.

The route known as Main Road Corridor Segment C aimed to improve Bohicket Road from Maybank Highway to River Road with redesigned intersections, the widening of parts of the two-lane road and construction of a 12-foot-wide pedestrian and bicycle path.

In 2024 it became clear residents overwhelmingly disliking the plan, with just 23 percent supporting what the county laid out in public meetings. The county councilman representing Johns Island — Joe Boykin, vowed in May to "fight to my last breath" to strip the pedestrian and bike path from the concept.

"What I would tell you is that Segment C has been shelved," Boykin said Feb. 17, but added "It’s not dead and gone."

Many residents opposed the roughly nine-mile bike and pedestrian path because it would require land from dozens of property owners and would cross many driveways on the Bohicket Creek side of Bohicket Road.

They also opposed widening Bohicket Road beyond Plow Ground Road. The intersection improvements were controversial due to significant impacts on homes and businesses.

County staff set out to address the issue, but "we have been unable to satisfy the concerns that were raised by citizens," program manager Alex Owsiak told Charleston County Council at a recent meeting.

Also, there's no funding left to pay for the work, he said.

"In general, there are going to be limited resources that are going to be reallocated if folks don’t support what we put forward," said Councilwoman Jenny Honeycutt, who represents Kiawah and Seabrook islands along with Folly Beach and most of James Island.

Funds for the Segment C plan were redirected to a larger plan that's also meant to improve Johns Island traffic — turning the intersection of Main Road and U.S. Highway 17 into more of a highway-style interchange, to eliminate the backups and long delays there.

Funded through the half-percent sales tax approved in 2016, the Segment C plan had been budgeted to cost $75 million to $90 million, and all three segments of the Main Road Corridor plan were budgeted at $195 million. Instead, the contract for the intersection redesign came in above $350 million.

County officials noted that voters rejected a ballot measure in November that would have extended the half-percent sale tax to provide more road funding.

"It is safe to say that Segment C has gone with the referendum," County Council Chairman Kylon Middleton said at a recent council meeting.

Most of the money from the proposed tax continuation would have gone to the Mark Clark Extension, and that plan to continue Interstate 526 from West Ashley across Johns Island to James Island is now considered dead. The state and county have been in talks to unwind contractual agreements related to the Mark Clark.

But even if there were funding for the Segment C project, the county hasn't found a way to address residents' concerns about the unpopular plan.

"I think if they had the money they could come up with a plan," said island resident John Zlogar, who co-founded Rational Roads for Johns Island years ago because of concerns about the Segment C project. Early proposals included a cross-island parkway that was later abandoned in the face of opposition.

County officials aren't sure they can come up with a new notion residents would like. For example, Owsiak told council members that ending the widening of Bohicket Road at Plow Ground Road would result in a failing level of service — too much traffic congestion — at Edenvale Road, where the county's plan called for the widening to end.

Moving the planned multi-use path to the other side of Bohicket Road would create new right-of-way and environmental challenges, he said, and avoiding impacts on residential and business properties would be impossible, officials say.

The Main Road Corridor is a primary north-south route across the island, running from near the entrances to Kiawah and Seabrook islands on the south end to the intersection with U.S. Highway 17 in West Ashley on the north end.

It's two-lanes-wide and carries three names in segments: Main Road from U.S. Highway 17 to Maybank Highway, where the name changes to Bohicket Road until it hits River Road, where the name changes again to Betsy Kerrison Parkway.

Segment C is so-named because Charleston County divided a road project listed in the 2016 sales tax referendum into three parts. That project was the "US 17 at Main Road flyover and widening Main Road from Bees Ferry to Betsy Kerrison with (a) Parkway type section at Bohicket."

All of that work was expected to cost $195 million, but the price of a recently issued contract to design and build the U.S. Highway 17 interchange at Main Road came in at more than $354 million. That's Segment A.

The county previously decided against work on most of Main Road between U.S. Highway 17 and Maybank Highway. That would have been Segment B.

And now the rest of the Main Road Corridor, the stretch from Maybank Highway nearly to Kiawah Island, is also on hold.

More often than not, tipsters, readers, friends, and family of Eater have one question: Where should I eat right now? What are the new restaurants? What's everyone talking about? While the Eater 18 is a crucial resource covering old standbys and neighborhood essentials across the city, it is not a chronicle of the "it" places of the moment. Enter the Eater Heatmap, which will change continually to highlight the spots crowds are flocking to at the moment or generating a big buzz. Folks are asking, "Have you been yet?" Try one of these newbies today.

This month, chef Sean Brock’s Joyland location joins the list.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Chinese American restaurant Jackrabbit Filly moved up the street to a bigger dining room and more prominent location. With the move comes a more extensive menu with exciting new options. Karrage, dumplings, and fried rice are still on the menu, but now there’s also a crab rangoon cheese ball, mapo tofu vol au vent, spicy Korean gnocchi, and Sichuan seafood wonton soup.

The couple behind Wagener Terrace hangout Berkeley’s recently opened their second restaurant, the Archer. They want it to have the same neighborhood vibes but raise the stakes with a full bar and fine dining-level comfort plates. Chef Paul Farmer (formerly of Three Sirens), puts out plates like duck frites, baked oysters, beef stroganoff, chicken liver mousse, and chilled crab dip.

Chubby Fish (most recently visited by Martha Stewart) has smartly expanded into the space next door with another cozy nautical space, but this time, the team is focused on world-class cocktails from Christian Favier (formerly of the Ordinary). Rum figures heavily on the list, but there’s also a delicious smoked dirty martini and plenty of fizzy drinks thanks to a fancy Japanese Suntory highball machine. Customers can order snacks from the ever-changing menu, including oysters, crudos, agnolotti, Iberico ham, and more.

Legami is a new Italian restaurant boasting a chef brought in from Rome by a family with roots in Turin, Italy. Washington Street Hospitality, which controls three Pasta Beach restaurants in New England, thought the King Street building would be another location for Pasta Beach, but decided to switch it up once they got into the historic building. Chef Andrea Congiusta cooks modern Italian fare with some influences from France. “We took inspiration from the classic fine dining, but we also want to have something fun, something that looks very fancy, and something you can crave,” says Congiusta. Dishes include king crab tagliolini, beef Wellington, and veal Milanese.

Modern steakhouse Marbled & Fin is giving all the other steakhouses a run for their money. The expansive dining room fills nightly with well-heeled customers ready to see and be seen. On the menu, chef Eucepe “Cepe” Puntriano includes all the steakhouse classics plus an emphasis on seafood dishes for non-meat eaters. Look for seafood towers, wedge salads, wagyu beef, bone marrow with oysters, creamed spinach, and more.

Superstar chef Sean Brock has brought his fast-casual burger/biscuit joint to the Lowcountry. Joyland is Brock’s fun nod to the fast-food joints of yesteryear. Breakfast includes all types of biscuit sandwiches and a breakfast burrito. The lunch and dinner menu includes the Joyburger Deluxe, fried chicken sandwiches, Chicago dogs, Crustburgers, and Joysticks. Most of the menu items can be made gluten-free.

Chef Micheal Toscano recently opened a taco shop next to his Italian restaurant Le Farfalle. Blanca Estrada is Toscano’s ode to his Mexican mother and grandmother, whose cooking was an early influence on his culinary journey. The kitchen offers a selection of tacos, from cochinita pibil to lengua, several specials, like a lamb neck burrito, and several tequila drinks and pineapple vinegar soda.

Ice-cold martinis with a side of caviar set the vibe at By the Way, a new upscale lounge and restaurant in Cannonborough/Elliotborough hoping to draw a slightly more mature clientele away from King Street. It’s from Uptown Hospitality Group, the folks behind hotspots like Uptown Social and Bodega, in partnership with Craig Conover and Austen Kroll, two stars of Bravo TV’s Southern Charm. Fairly intimate with the feel of an old-world tavern, By the Way serves a menu of trendy pub fare like ’nduja deviled eggs, poutine, fried oysters with caviar, and steak frites.

Charming new hotel the Dunlin offers sweeping views of the Kiawah River, abundant hospitality, and coastal Southern fare in its signature restaurant, Linnette’s. Chef Michael DeCicco puts out dishes like a pressed and pickled watermelon salad, wood-fired oysters, cornmeal-crusted flounder, and a sorghum-benne lacquered steak with charred okra.

Chinese American restaurant Jackrabbit Filly moved up the street to a bigger dining room and more prominent location. With the move comes a more extensive menu with exciting new options. Karrage, dumplings, and fried rice are still on the menu, but now there’s also a crab rangoon cheese ball, mapo tofu vol au vent, spicy Korean gnocchi, and Sichuan seafood wonton soup.

The couple behind Wagener Terrace hangout Berkeley’s recently opened their second restaurant, the Archer. They want it to have the same neighborhood vibes but raise the stakes with a full bar and fine dining-level comfort plates. Chef Paul Farmer (formerly of Three Sirens), puts out plates like duck frites, baked oysters, beef stroganoff, chicken liver mousse, and chilled crab dip.

Chubby Fish (most recently visited by Martha Stewart) has smartly expanded into the space next door with another cozy nautical space, but this time, the team is focused on world-class cocktails from Christian Favier (formerly of the Ordinary). Rum figures heavily on the list, but there’s also a delicious smoked dirty martini and plenty of fizzy drinks thanks to a fancy Japanese Suntory highball machine. Customers can order snacks from the ever-changing menu, including oysters, crudos, agnolotti, Iberico ham, and more.

Legami is a new Italian restaurant boasting a chef brought in from Rome by a family with roots in Turin, Italy. Washington Street Hospitality, which controls three Pasta Beach restaurants in New England, thought the King Street building would be another location for Pasta Beach, but decided to switch it up once they got into the historic building. Chef Andrea Congiusta cooks modern Italian fare with some influences from France. “We took inspiration from the classic fine dining, but we also want to have something fun, something that looks very fancy, and something you can crave,” says Congiusta. Dishes include king crab tagliolini, beef Wellington, and veal Milanese.

Modern steakhouse Marbled & Fin is giving all the other steakhouses a run for their money. The expansive dining room fills nightly with well-heeled customers ready to see and be seen. On the menu, chef Eucepe “Cepe” Puntriano includes all the steakhouse classics plus an emphasis on seafood dishes for non-meat eaters. Look for seafood towers, wedge salads, wagyu beef, bone marrow with oysters, creamed spinach, and more.

Superstar chef Sean Brock has brought his fast-casual burger/biscuit joint to the Lowcountry. Joyland is Brock’s fun nod to the fast-food joints of yesteryear. Breakfast includes all types of biscuit sandwiches and a breakfast burrito. The lunch and dinner menu includes the Joyburger Deluxe, fried chicken sandwiches, Chicago dogs, Crustburgers, and Joysticks. Most of the menu items can be made gluten-free.

Chef Micheal Toscano recently opened a taco shop next to his Italian restaurant Le Farfalle. Blanca Estrada is Toscano’s ode to his Mexican mother and grandmother, whose cooking was an early influence on his culinary journey. The kitchen offers a selection of tacos, from cochinita pibil to lengua, several specials, like a lamb neck burrito, and several tequila drinks and pineapple vinegar soda.

Ice-cold martinis with a side of caviar set the vibe at By the Way, a new upscale lounge and restaurant in Cannonborough/Elliotborough hoping to draw a slightly more mature clientele away from King Street. It’s from Uptown Hospitality Group, the folks behind hotspots like Uptown Social and Bodega, in partnership with Craig Conover and Austen Kroll, two stars of Bravo TV’s Southern Charm. Fairly intimate with the feel of an old-world tavern, By the Way serves a menu of trendy pub fare like ’nduja deviled eggs, poutine, fried oysters with caviar, and steak frites.

Charming new hotel the Dunlin offers sweeping views of the Kiawah River, abundant hospitality, and coastal Southern fare in its signature restaurant, Linnette’s. Chef Michael DeCicco puts out dishes like a pressed and pickled watermelon salad, wood-fired oysters, cornmeal-crusted flounder, and a sorghum-benne lacquered steak with charred okra.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The Charleston Water System says it is continuing to monitor PFA levels even as the Trump administration’s halt on federal regulations has raised concerns about the chemicals.

PFAs, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have been dubbed “forever chemicals” because they are long-lasting and difficult to break down. Scientists have linked PFAs to health problems including cancer, immune suppression and developmental harm.

The chemicals are found in products such as shampoos, nonstick pans and waterproof clothing that make their way down the drain and into the waterways.

South Carolina does not have any regulations on PFAs. The Trump administration’s halt on all federal regulations until they are reviewed effectively withdraws the Environmental Protection Agency’s first-of-its-kind national standard of the chemicals in drinking water.

That standard would have required initial monitoring beginning in 2027.

The Charleston Water System receives and discharges 25 million gallons of water per day on average to the Charleston Harbor. The body of water is not used for drinking water but system leaders say they have been voluntarily testing for the chemicals since 2019.

Charleston Water System spokesman Matthew Kenwright says they have conducted 80 tests throughout their James Island plant despite no state regulations for PFAs. The findings found about 15 parts per trillion of PFAs in the wastewater coming from customers.

Kenwright says the findings are what would look like “15 seconds in 32,000 years.”

“We spent about $40,000 and that’s just so, again, that we’re protecting our customers and ultimately protecting the environment,” Kenwright says. “Because any costs that we incur down the line for capital projects would ultimately be passed down to our customers so that’s why we are collecting this data now.”

System leaders say any future compliance to the chemical removal can fall on customers as potentially costs for the system may look like hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Charleston Waterkeeper Executive Director Andrew Wunderley says he would like to see state officials take action on the issue despite the halt on the federal level.

“The only safe level is zero. The only safe level of contamination in drinking water is zero,” he says. “And so, you know, we shouldn’t be determining wether or not contamination in our drinking water is good or bad, that answer is contamination in drinking water is bad.”

Wunderly says it’s important to attack the problem at the source.

“It’s one of the reasons I think those regulations were so important… is because we need to prevent those PFAs from getting into the environment in the first place," he says. “And you do that at the point of discharge and you put the responsibility for that on the businesses that are profiting from it.”

Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.