DOT collects comments about various plans for completing, or not completing, the Mark Clark People were passionate and opinionated Thursday night about the issue of whether to complete the Mark Clark Expressway. "No build. I'm very selfish. It's going in my backyard," said Mary Edna Sullivan. She's worried about losing her West Ashley view of Stono River marsh, and said the Interstate 526 extension seems like it would benefit developers more than residents. It won't improve hurricane evacuation, she contended. Linda Devito, who lives in the same area as Sullivan, said she favors improved mass transit over more highways. She's worried about construction and highway noise, and fears that the project will devalue her home. "No matter what they're proposing, it goes through our backyard," Devito said. "You build more roads, you're going to get more cars and pollution." More info: Project maps and information are available at the S.C. DOT web site Six possible routes for the road were presented at West Ashley High School during a public meeting held by the state Department of Transportation. All of them take I-526 from where it now ends at Savannah Highway across Johns and James islands to the James Island Connector. In addition, options on the table include not building the final leg of I-526, shifting the focus to better mass transit, or improving existing roads. Dozens of people viewed renderings of the routes while talking with a consultant and DOT staff. Many submitted written comments. "I'm all for the freeway. It's important to me that James Island County Park be preserved as much as possible," said K.C. Lombard of Johns Island. "My primary concern is getting traffic off of Main Road." Building the I-526 project will improve hurricane evacuation, he said. Bert Moore of Hollywood said he has no preferred alternative route for the project. He just wants it built. "They're 30 years late," he said. An experiment with mass transit in Hollywood didn't work because not enough people rode the bus, he said. "We're just not a jump-on-the bus or jump-on-the train community," he said. DOT Project Manager David Kinard attended the meeting for informal one-on-one discussions. "We have a lot of people for the project, and a lot of people against," he said. The comments received Thursday will become part of a draft Environmental Impact Statement for the project that will make a recommendation by the end of the year. More than 100 people attended the event. Route options take the proposed highway across the islands along different routes, with interchanges in different locations. The next public meeting will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Johns Island High School, 1518 Main Road.

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