With downtown real estate in such high demand, it may feel like downtown Charleston has reached maximum capacity. Sitting squarely on the Charleston Harbor, though, is a massive area of untouched land. We just need a way to get to it.
DHEC is currently reviewing an application to construct a new bridge connecting the peninsula with Laurel Island. Laurel Island is not quite an island, but waterfront land fenced in by railroad tracks. Previously used as little more than a landfill, creating vehicular access to Laurel Island could breathe new life into the land.
Location: The bridge would begin on Cool Blow Street, near the Romney Street exit of I-26. It would cross over Morrison Drive, CSX Railroad and Newmarket Creek to Laurel Island, spanning about 1,000 feet in length and 56 feet in width.
Design: The proposed design calls for two 12 ft.-wide lanes for vehicles. What’s really cool: The plan also calls for a 5.5 ft.-wide sidewalk and a 14 ft.-wide multi-use path for pedestrians and cyclists.
Timeline: If approved, the bridge would take about 24 months to build.
Several efforts have been made to develop Laurel Island in the past, the most recent being a $1 billion mixed-use development called Lorelei. That project was abandoned in 2017, with developers citing disagreements with the city over road access.
If city leaders and developers are able to successfully bridge the gap this time around, it would add 160+ acres of waterfront property on the peninsula for future development.