Nighttime paving to take place through Aug. 5
Drivers at the northern tip of Robert Smalls Parkway will encounter a temporary one-lane closure to allow the paving of the new intersection of S.C. 170 and Boundary Street. Drivers will still be able to travel in both directions during the paving.
The paving – and nighttime partial-lane closure – is expected to continue until sunrise on Friday, Aug. 5. Once the paving is completed, additional work will be done to prepare the new intersection for full use, including new traffic signals on larger masts.
No detour is planned during the paving, but motorists may encounter short delays between sunset and sunrise through Friday morning. The Boundary Street-Robert Smalls Parkway intersection beside McDonald’s restaurant is expected to open in mid-August.
“We have been hard at work with this project since January, but a lot of the work has been behind the scenes, getting the underground duct bank ready for the overhead power and communications lines,” Beaufort City Manager Bill Prokop said. “Getting this redesigned intersection open is a major piece of the project.”
The new intersection features a more traditional perpendicular alignment of the roads with left-turn lanes and signals. Like all the new traffic signals being erected on Boundary Street, the new intersection’s signals will be part of a “smart” system designed to help traffic flow smoothly in all conditions.
“This will be a safer and more efficient intersection of our two main roadways in northern Beaufort County, Boundary Street/U.S. 21 and Robert Smalls Parkway/S.C. 170,” said Sammy Negron, project manager consultant.
Since late winter, crews have been working on the new intersection, placing storm drain pipes and conduit for underground cabling, installing curbing and sidewalks and arranging for new traffic signal mast arms.
To prepare motorists for the new traffic intersection, signs and stoplights will flash to alert drivers of the pending change.
Once the new intersection is open, the current roadway along Beaufort Plaza will be removed.
When completed, Boundary Street will remain a four-lane roadway but will feature improved intersections with traffic signals; left-turn lanes; a landscaped middle median; and sidewalks and pathways for pedestrians.
The project is scheduled for completion in 2018.
For more information, visit www.boundarystreetupdate.com.
Mosquito spraying may take place through Aug. 5
Beaufort County Mosquito Control may conduct aerial training, surveillance, and/or spray missions that may include the application of EPA-registered public health insecticides during daylight hours through Friday, Aug. 5.
It uses low-flying aircraft and its aerial spraying is dependent upon ideal weather.
It does not treat the salt marsh habitats for adult mosquitoes during these aerial operations.
For additional information, call 843-255-5800.
State heritage board to discuss Fort Frederick
The South Carolina Heritage Trust Advisory Board will meet at 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 4, at the Corbett Kitchen at the S.C. Farmer’s Market, 3483 Charleston Highway in West Columbia.
One item on the agenda is an update on the condition of the Fort Frederick Heritage Preserve, a 3-acre property located in Port Royal along the Beaufort River. The tabby fort was built by the British between 1730 and 1734 to defend against a possible attack from the Spanish at St. Augustine, Fla.
The Heritage Trust Advisory Board meeting is open to the public.
The policy-making Heritage Trust Advisory Board serves as a liaison between the public, the Heritage Trust Program and the S.C. Department of Natural Resources Board. Formed by state law in 1976, Heritage Trust has protected thousands acres on state heritage preserves found throughout South Carolina.
Parris Island removes decal requirement
Parris Island will no longer issue Department of Defense (DOD) vehicle decals due to recently published Marine Corps policy.
Those living in the local area who are not assigned to the depot but who have decals on their vehicles, such as the retiree community, are encouraged to remove them no later than Sept. 1.
Personnel permanently assigned to Parris Island who have already registered vehicle(s) aboard Parris Island are required to complete appropriate documentation for each vehicle they have registered.
This new policy does not affect any current access control measures, and all other vehicle documentation requirements, such as possessing a valid driver’s license, vehicle registration and proof of insurance, remain the same.
The change in the decal requirement came about with the release of updated DOD access control policies eliminating the use of decals on all DOD installations. The removal of DOD decals from vehicles is universal throughout the DOD and will not affect access to other military installations for those with the required identification credentials.
New poll worker training offered through Sept. 10
The Board of Voter Registration and Elections of Beaufort County will be conducting new poll manager training.
Anyone interested in working the polls for the first time can enroll in one of these sessions.
The dates and locations are from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 30, at the Hilton Head Branch Library at 11 Beach City Road; from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7, at the Bluffton Branch Library at 120 Palmetto Way; and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10, at the Beaufort Voter Registration Office at 15 John Galt Road.
The sessions will last approximately five hours. It is recommended that participants bring a snack to eat/drink during short breaks.
To register for the training, call 843-255-6900 or send an email to include the preferred date of the training you wish to attend and a phone number where you can be reached during the day to: voter@bcgov.net.
