SC Agency Halts Funding for I-526 Extension
The South Carolina State Transportation Infrastructure Bank has voted to terminate funding for the planned extension of Interstate 526 in Charleston County. The decision immediately halts financial support for the controversial project. The future of the Mark Clark Expressway extension is now uncertain following the withdrawal of state-level funding.
- The project's estimated cost escalated dramatically from an initial projection of around $420 million to a final price tag of more than $2.3 billion. - To cover its nearly $2 billion portion of the cost, Charleston County proposed a half-cent sales tax referendum, which voters rejected in November 2024, signaling a lack of public support. - The proposed 8-mile extension was designed to complete a loop around Charleston by connecting West Ashley with James Island via Johns Island. - For decades, environmental groups and community advocates opposed the extension, arguing it would destroy over 30 acres of wetlands, impact James Island County Park, and encourage suburban sprawl. - The idea to complete the I-526 beltway has been a subject of debate for over 30 years, with the original concept dating back to the late 1980s. - Following the project's termination, the remaining $420 million in state funds is being reallocated to nine other approved infrastructure projects in the county, including widening a portion of Maybank Highway. - The South Carolina Department of Transportation had already spent $41 million to acquire land for the project's path and will retain ownership of those properties.
