CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – The South Carolina Department of Transportation is moving along with the Lowcountry Rapid Transit System and gave an update on Wednesday that they are at 90% final design completion.
The 21.3-mile transit project is set to transform the Lowcountry by connecting the Fairgrounds in Ladson to North Charleston and downtown Charleston through mass transit. Officials at the meeting say there has been progress made on design components, including roadway and pavement designs, station and intersection layouts, construction limits and plans and landscaping details.
The main goal of the $650 million project is to address the area’s growing roadway congestion.
“I think it’s so much more than just a bus ride,” Jennifer Necker, SCDOT Deputy Secretary for Intermodal and Freight, says. “It allows you to get out of the traffic. The traffic down here we know is a challenge for people, so having that reliability on knowing that you can get from point A to point B in a set amount of time because of all those experiences with a bus rapid transit system is huge.”
The entire ride is estimated to be 70 minutes one-way from US-76 and Commerce Center in Ladson, all the way down to Line Street and Westedge Street in downtown Charleston.
“It allows people to do work on the bus,” Necker says. “It allows people to just relax on the bus. The things you can’t do in your car. It will allow them to be connected to communities.”
Officials highlighted how the route will also help residents connect to over 60 healthcare facilities, five colleges and universities and various shops and restaurants along the way.
“It’s pretty close to universally looked at as something that’s going to be positive for our region and is going to be transformative,” Mike Seekings, Charleston City Councilman and Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority Board Chairman, says. “It’s really going to change the face of this region for the better.”
Throughout the system, there will be 60 dedicated buses, 20 stations and 21 hours of service on weekdays. Although SCDOT is working with CARTA, they say the buses and stations will look different from CARTA’s, with unique architecture and branding.
The Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments is a project sponsor and focuses on the grants needed for the project, public engagement and quality and program management. SCDOT officials say collaboration is key to ensure they meet all of their deadlines.
“Everyone has been willing to think outside the box,” Necker says. “Everyone has seen the vision and bought into it so that we can move this project forward.”
Officials say this specific project is also just the beginning of transforming the future of transportation throughout the Lowcountry and they are already looking into other ways to connect communities like Moncks Corner and West Ashley to the greater Charleston area.
“This is by no means the end,” Seekings says. “This is really the beginning of building out a regional transportation corridor and system that can stand for the test of time as we grow as a community.”
The project has been in the works since 2016, and officials say the final design will be complete next year, with construction planned to begin in 2027. The transit system is projected to open in 2029.