County Moving Forward with I-526

Charleston County Council has voted to move forward the $558 million completion of Interstate 526.

The 5-to-4 vote came after a heated committee meeting in which councilmen traded barbs and after more than 55 citizens spoke for and against the project.

Councilmembers Anna Johnson, Vic Rawl, Herb Sass, Elliot Summey and Chairman Teddie Pryor voted in favor of the project.

Councilmembers Colleen Condon, Henry Darby, Dickie Schweers and Joseph Qualey voted against the measure.

Councilmen voted to move forward with Alternate G, a hybrid of previous proposals. Read more about the proposed route. See maps here.

Councilmen did not consider a proposal from Charleston Mayor Joe Riley to hand the project over to the city. Instead, the county will take responsibility for the final leg of I-526, which will cross James and Johns islands.

In the end, the arguments for and against the project fell down typical lines. Residents whose homes are close to the proposed roadway say I-526 will ruin the rural character of the area and reduce property values.

"Instead of planing my wedding every weekend, I'm out talking to people who are in tears about losing their property," said Emily McDaniel, a James Island resident who campaigned against the road with Nix I-526.

"There are smaller things that need to be done in place of I-526 at a much less bitter cost... The character of the Sea Islands, we will never be able to get it back."

But others said the road completion is necessary to alleviate traffic congestion and to move forward economic progress.

Councilwoman Johnson, who represents James Island, was the apparent swing vote on the matter, and residents criticized her. Residents said she promised while campaigning to vote against the project.

"Those people who thought that I promised that I was not going to vote for 526, well that's a lie," Johnson said.

She voted for Alternate G because the project has been modified to make it have less impacts, she said.

"I'm going to go and do what is the best thing at the time," Johnson said. "I didn't make a pack with the devil, but I did take an oath."