Future of Maybank Highway debated Johns Island residents and others told a team from the Urban Land Institute on Thursday that their main goal in any work done on Maybank Highway is to maintain the area's rural character, even as they expressed frustration over traffic in the region. Charleston County previously asked the Urban Land Institute to help the county and the city of Charleston decide whether to widen the highway, create a network of streets to disperse traffic, or some combination of both plans. The institute pulls together voluntary teams of professionals to offer an outsider's view on controversial construction projects. Both competing plans for Maybank Highway aim to relieve traffic, which backs up on Maybank from River Road to the Stono River during rush hour. Wadmalaw Island resident John Hope told the consultants that keeping the island rural was the most important thing to many area residents. "We don't want to lose the reason for why people are coming here," he said. Johns Island business owner Barney Limehouse said, "I like the city's story about using the back roads and leaving Maybank alone." One of the competing plans for the highway would widen the two-lane road to four lanes with a wide, planted median. City officials last year began advocating a "pitchfork" plan that instead would create a network of new streets, near the intersection of Maybank and River, to disperse traffic. Previous story Proposal rules out extended highway on I-526 Published 1/26/09 Most residents who spoke at Thursday's meeting were from Johns Island, but residents of Wadmalaw, Kiawah and Seabrook islands also showed up at the Johns Island Regional Library. The team also has reviewed studies and previous public comments about the island's roads. Blase Keegel, a Kiawah resident who also owns land on Johns Island, said something should be done to relieve traffic on Johns Island's "constipated" roads because more development is on the way. "They're going to build. It's going to grow," he said. Sam Furr, who lives on Maybank Highway, said a four-lane road doesn't have to be an eyesore. "Think of a four-lane road that's designed right," that's pedestrian-friendly, he said. "We can preserve the character and still get places in a timely manner. It's possible to do it right," he said. Seabrook Mayor Frank McNulty and Kiawah Mayor Pro Tem Alan Burnaford said they support building a new "cross island" road, which would run from Maybank Highway to the southern end of the island. Many Kiawah and Seabrook residents have said the cross-island road is necessary to reduce traffic and improve safety on the rural island. Burnaford said Kiawah also supports the city's plan for Maybank Highway. Three major road-building projects are being debated for Johns Island: Maybank Highway improvements, a cross-island road and an extension of Interstate 526. At 4 p.m. today the consulting team will make recommendations on Maybank's future to Charleston County Council and Charleston City Council.

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