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Frequently Asked Questions
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The Highway 41 Corridor Improvements project will widen the existing roadway to four lanes from Clements Ferry Road to Dunes West Boulevard/Rivertowne Parkway, expand to three lanes through the Phillips Community, and widen again to four lanes from Bessemer Road/Joe Rouse Road to Highway 17 (4-3-4 configuration). The project also includes the Laurel Hill Parkway, a new, two-lane local connection road from Highway 41 to Park West Boulevard to provide more reliable travel for Dunes West and Park West residents, especially during peak hours.
The Laurel Hill Parkway is a new, two-lane local connection road from Highway 41 to Park West Boulevard. Without the Parkway, the 4-3-4 configuration, which preserves the historic Phillips Community and addresses a regional mobility problem, will not be able to handle the forecasted traffic and will result in gridlock. The Parkway is the key to making the entire corridor ready for the future.
Charleston County is currently advancing the project's permitting, final design, and right-of-way (ROW) acquisition. Construction on the project is anticipated to begin in late 2026.
The project’s 4-3-4 design and Laurel Hill Parkway will distribute traffic across the corridor and reduce congestion at key intersections along Highway 41. Ultimately, the project will provide relief on Highway 41, moving an increasing number of cars through the corridor and functioning adequately in 2045. The project design aligns with the goals of reducing congestion and enhancing safety for commuters and will significantly contribute to the long-term transportation planning efforts of Charleston County.
Charleston County has worked to develop a project that addresses traffic congestion on Highway 41 and enhances road safety and connectivity in Mt. Pleasant. Even further, the County is responding to a direct need for improved infrastructure that supports the region’s larger transportation network and serves the region’s commuters in getting where they need to go safely and efficiently.
The project:
- Reduces congestion along Highway 41.
- Adds the Laurel Hill Parkway, a new, two-lane local connection road that provides reliable travel for local community members and includes safety features like a multi-use path and 35-mph speed limit.
- Improves the safety and reliability of multiple major intersections along the corridor, including the intersections at Highway 41/Highway 17 and Dunes West Boulevard/Wando Plantation Way, and the Park West Boulevard roundabout.
- Protects and preserves the historic Phillips Community.
Interim improvements were completed in 2025 in advance of anticipated construction in late 2026. These improvements included:
- The intersection at Joe Rouse Road and Highway 41 was reconfigured to improve traffic flow and accommodate increasing traffic volumes along the corridor.
- Signal timing updates and minor construction occurred at the intersection of Highway 17 and 41 to provide additional traffic relief and significant reductions in delays for the entire corridor.
- Two intersection equipment upgrades — funded by the County and installed by the Town — were installed at Highway 41 and Joe Rouse Road, and the other, at Highway 41 and Rivertowne/Dunes West.
Charleston County is leading the design and implementation of the Highway 41 project in partnership with the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT).
The Highway 41 project will include completing the Town of Mt. Pleasant’s Gregorie Ferry Connector Road, which will tie into Highway 41 at Colonnade. In addition, Winnowing Way will be extended to Highway 41, providing a new connection from Highway 41 to US 17 at its intersection with Porchers Bluff Road.
Charleston County has followed an extensive environmental review process, which has included public and stakeholder engagement as well as a detailed alternatives evaluation process to examine the environmental, social, cultural, and economic impacts of the project.
From 2017 to 2021, various design alternatives for the project were assessed and presented to the public and stakeholders. In August 2021, Charleston County Council unanimously voted 9-0 to advance the “Compromise Alternative” through environmental review and into the design and permitting phase. Since then, the project team has advanced the project’s design and submitted permit applications and supporting documents to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in May 2023 and to the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) in December 2023. These permitting documents were updated to further minimize wetland impacts and resubmitted in March 2025.
Learn more about the alternatives evaluation and environmental process →
Architectural and archaeological surveys have been completed for the Highway 41 Corridor Improvements project, and consultation with the South Carolina State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), USACE, and SCDES is ongoing.
The Highway 41 project must comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) to support the USACE’s consultation with the SHPO. Visit the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) website to learn more about the NHPA and historical resources evaluation process →
The Highway 41 4-3-4 project design minimizes impacts to and preserves the historic Phillips Community. Through the design process, property impacts to the Seven Mile Community at the Highway 41 and Highway 17 connections have also been eliminated.
The project design has been updated to further minimize impacts to wetlands and critical areas. The permit applications, Environmental Report, and supporting documentation were updated and resubmitted to the appropriate agencies in March 2025.
The Laurel Hill Parkway's alignment also avoids and minimizes impacts to wetlands where possible, using a pedestrian boardwalk crossing at a critical area wetland, and reducing shoulder and median widths to further minimize impacts in unavoidable wetlands.
Charleston County continues to coordinate and communicate with Charleston County Parks and Recreation on future impacts and accommodations for Laurel Hill County Park.
Charleston County received approval on the final right-of-way (ROW) plans for Highway 41 in July 2025 and has begun property acquisition. This is an important step in the process, moving us closer to constructing this vital project to relieve congestion for the residents of North Mt. Pleasant.
The Charleston County surveyor has begun staking out the ROW limits for the project. Residents in the area may notice wooden stakes with orange flagging along Highway 41, Winnowing Way, Dunes West Boulevard, Porchers Bluff Road, and numerous other intersections along the corridor. These stakes are being placed to give the impacted property owners an idea of the land the County needs to purchase to build the improvements. The County does not anticipate construction to begin on the project until late 2026.
The Highway 41 Corridor Improvements Project is solely funded by the Charleston County sales tax. No U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) funding will be used for the planning, design, or construction of the project, and the Federal Highway Administration is not providing oversight or approval.
Because of this, review of the project under Section 4(f) is not triggered for the project. Charleston County continues to coordinate and communicate with Charleston County Parks and Recreation on future impacts and accommodations for Laurel Hill County Park.
Visit the USDOT’s website to learn more about Section 4(f) of the USDOT Act of 1966 →