Long-awaited Palmetto Commerce Interchange is on track to be finished early
By Kenna Coe kcoe@postandcourier.com | Jun 17, 2025 | Original Article Found here
Construction of the Palmetto Commerce Interchange, which will connect Weber Boulevard to Interstate 26, is estimated to be completed earlier than scheduled.
NORTH CHARLESTON — The long-awaited interchange on Interstate 26 between Ashley Phosphate Road and U.S. Highway 78 is on track to be completed early, Charleston County officials said.
The diamond interchange on Weber Boulevard connects Palmetto Commerce Parkway to I-26, providing an alternate route for drivers and alleviating traffic funneling to and from the parkway's industrial business corridor. The overpass extends across I-26 and abuts the Deerhaven Mobile Home Park, providing on-and-off ramp access to the interstate.
Starting June 18, crews will begin shifting traffic lanes on I-26 back towards the median, closing a temporary center lane created to construct the overpass, said Mackenzie Kelley, the project manager. Two traffic lanes will be closed overnight for roughly two weeks as the final traffic pattern is installed.
The nearly $54 million project is expected to be done by the end of the year, which is a couple of months ahead of schedule. The project is funded by the 2016 half-cent transportation sales tax.
Nearly 40 residents attended a quarterly meeting on June 16 inside the small sanctuary at Grace Alliance Church to hear updates from project planners. The project has been met with general support from nearby residents, many of whom expressed concerns of the area's growth during the meeting.
As the final stretch of the project nears, crews have installed 80 percent of the asphalt. The 10-foot pedestrian path along Weber Boulevard from Ingleside Boulevard to Salamander Drive is nearly completed.
The overpass cleared the state Department of Transportation inspection. At a previous community meeting, residents asked project planners to consider installing a safety barrier along the overpass.
The county worked with DOT and the city of North Charleston to create a black vinyl safety fence, which will be installed before the overpass opens. Kelley said the overpass design already met DOT standards, so this is an "above and beyond" measure.
"Hopefully the public feels like we're listening and we're doing everything we can to implement," she said.
As part of the project, the county planted nearly 100 "privacy screening" trees in Northwood Estates, a neighborhood that runs along the interstate, to replace those removed for construction. Nearly half of the trees are more than 20 feet tall, Kelley said.
Even before this project started, traffic noise was an ongoing concern for residents who live in the neighborhood. Many hoped the construction project would prompt the county to build a noise wall.
The county conducted a noise study that specifically analyzed the Northwood Estates area, using models that predicted noise through 2040. The study found a sound barrier does not meet DOT’s Traffic Noise Abatement Policy criteria, so DOT would not approve the construction of a barrier.
Rhonnie Hassinger, a Northwood Estates resident, told The Post and Courier she does not believe the project has prioritized residents' concerns about the noise. She said the neighborhood has asked for a sound barrier for years.
"The thing is they are not taking care of those of us who have been here for the last 40 years," Kathy Roberson, another Northwood Estates resident, said. "They're just plowing right through with whatever they want to do, so that they can bring in more trucks and more commerce."
For residents who did not attend the meeting, project details can be found at palmettocommerceinterchange.com and comments can be submitted on the site.