<em>Photo above: First Street in Beaufort has been part of the Boundary Street corridor construction project. Here, work was being done recently to pave the street and adding on-street parking and sidewalks. That work is now done and First Street is open to traffic.</em>
<h3>Staff reports</h3>
First Street from Hogarth to Palmetto is now open for traffic after a major paving and sidewalk improvement project that is part of Beaufort’s Boundary Street corridor construction.&nbsp;

Opening this loop provides residents and shoppers with access to both the traffic signal at Hogarth Street and Boundary as well as the new signal at Polk Street and Boundary beside Walgreens. The improvements include on-street parking and sidewalks.&nbsp;

In coming months, First Street will be extended behind Chick-Fil-A to the new traffic signal at S.C. 170 and&nbsp;Boundary Street.&nbsp;

First Street will cross Boundary and become Robert Smalls Parkway, also known as S.C. 170.&nbsp;

Crews still have additional work to do on First Street, including a final paving course and re-striping of the roadway and parking, but opening it fully to residents and shoppers is an important part of the Boundary Street Improvement Project.&nbsp;

The Boundary Street Improvement Project is just over 1 mile long and is a $32 million project jointly funded by the city, county, S.C. Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. The work is on budget and on schedule for completion in early 2018.&nbsp;

The project includes:

• Realigning the intersection of S.C. 170 and Boundary Street to make it safer and to help traffic flow more smoothly.

• Retrofitting, re-investing and redeveloping neglected areas of the corridor.

• Creating commercial/retail nodes.

• Providing alternate ways for people to reach commercial/retail including bike and walking paths, improving efficiency.

• Expanding the Spanish Moss Trail in partnership with Beaufort County.

Throughout the Boundary Street construction zone, speed limits are reduced to 35 mph and are enforced.&nbsp;

Drivers are urged to use extra caution as construction crews have been working on both sides of the road.&nbsp;

For more information about the Boundary Street work, visit www.boundarystreetupdate.com.&nbsp;