Dear Island Neighbors,
Spring has indeed sprung.
If you haven’t been convinced by the runners, azaleas and pollen, I direct your attention to the traffic weekend before last — especially Sunday, March 22. I’ve not spoken to anyone who recalled worse congestion here, even a few old-timers.
If you’ve lived here for at least a year, you already know to expect your spring and summer weekend trips on and off the island to be affected by beach traffic — typically inbound traffic in the mornings and midday, and outbound traffic in the mid- to late afternoon. But the weekend in question was several orders of magnitude worse than that.
For starters, inbound traffic was still backed up on Coleman Boulevard in Mount Pleasant as far as Moultrie Middle School — at 2 p.m. And that’s not to mention neighborhood streets near Coleman and Ben Sawyer Boulevard being jammed with drivers attempting to circumvent congestion on those main thoroughfares. That gives you an idea of the number of people heading our way.
Once outbound traffic picked up midafternoon, vehicles were backed up islandwide. Contributing to the situation, the Ben Sawyer Bridge had to open for boat traffic at least four times in the afternoon. While the bridge openings are usually much briefer than they seem if you’re stuck while running late for a flight or something downtown, the impacts on backed-up traffic can last much longer than the actual duration of the opening. One rule of thumb in traffic engineering is that for every minute traffic is stopped, it takes four minutes to recover — sometimes longer.
Looking at real-time traffic maps, it was also clear that congestion extended onto the Mount Pleasant side at Rifle Range Road.
Shortly after that weekend, Chief of Police Glenn Meadows met with leadership from the Mount Pleasant Police Department and the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office to coordinate weekend traffic flow improvements. He provided the following update:
“Mount Pleasant has adjusted weekend traffic signal timing to accommodate increased outbound traffic, and those changes are now in effect. As needed, and if calls for service allow, a Mount Pleasant officer may also be assigned to manually control traffic lights at Rifle Range Road to further improve traffic flow leaving the island.
“Beginning the weekend of April 4–5, 2026, we will deploy a message board on Ben Sawyer Boulevard between Chuck Dawley Boulevard and Rifle Range Road. The sign will inform visitors that parking is limited due to ongoing road repairs (stormwater work) and to expect significant delays.
“Also starting that weekend, we plan to temporarily reverse traffic flow on the block of Station 22 ½ Street between I’on Avenue and Middle Street from 2 to 7 p.m. on weekends, with adjustments as needed. This measure is intended to help alleviate congestion on I’on and Atlantic for outbound vehicles while deputies manage traffic at the Station 22 ½ intersections. In addition, we will increase staffing from two to four county deputies to assist with traffic control. Captain Herman Martin with the Sheriff’s Department, who has years of experience helping us with beach traffic, has already conducted a site review to better understand the plan.”
Thanks to Chief Meadows and his department, and to our partners with the Mount Pleasant Police Department and the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, for this team effort.
Now about those bridge openings
As a reminder, on weekends and federal holidays, the Ben Sawyer Bridge opens when needed only on the hour between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., and on demand at other times. On weekdays that are not federal holidays, the bridge opens on demand except between 7 and 9 a.m. and between 4 and 6 p.m. Exceptions include requests from federal government vessels, commercial vessels or vessels in distress.
Why don’t we just change those weekend hours to reduce traffic disruptions? That would take an act of Congress — literally.
The Ben Sawyer Bridge opening schedule is set in the Code of Federal Regulations (33 CFR 117.911(c)). Congress established it, and only Congress can change it.
During on-demand times, you may notice the bridge open for one boat, close, then reopen shortly after for another. Why not wait and allow multiple boats to pass at once?
There’s a simple answer: $25,000. That’s the maximum fine a bridge tender can face for not “promptly and fully” opening a bridge over a federally navigable waterway when a vessel requests passage. Like the schedule, this requirement is set by federal law.
Hug a tree, or two
Join us at Stith Park on Friday, April 24, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. to celebrate our 10th anniversary as a Tree City USA — a designation bestowed by the National Arbor Day Foundation. Most activities will begin at noon.
Attendees can select a free tree or flowering pollinator plant as part of a giveaway, browse a book sale hosted by the Friends of the Library, order lunch from food trucks and enjoy live music under the oaks. Several environmental organizations will also be on site beginning around noon, including Charleston Waterkeeper, Clemson Extension and the South Carolina Native Plant Society.
See you around the island!
Pat O’Neil Mayor 843-670-9266
oneilp@sullivansisland.sc.gov