Johns Island's Two Ways Off The Island Are Changing On Different Clocks

"Too full." "Terrible." "Needs help." Those were the one-word descriptions Johns Island residents gave Live 5 in late September when asked about Maybank Highway. Ask about Main Road at US 17 and you'll probably hear much the same.

The island's two exits are being fixed on separate schedules. Main Road at US 17 changes first, this quarter. The Maybank merge follows about a year later. A third Maybank project has no schedule at all, and its funding is tied to a countywide vote on November 3, 22 days from today.

The calendar, one exit at a time

All the near-term milestones are on the Main Road side, where the contract is more than 30 times the reported cost of the Maybank merge lane.

Main Road goes first, and its first change is a new route

The US 17 & Main Road Corridor Segment A project carries a contract value of $354,312,450, paid for by the 2016 Transportation Sales Tax. The work is a design-build contract with the Archer-United-Banks Joint Venture. Live 5 called it the largest and most expensive road project in Charleston County's history.

The county's August 2026 newsletter gives a snapshot of progress. Pile driving for the ramps was about 95% complete. Asphalt, earthwork and drainage work was ongoing. Utility relocations for CWS and communications companies were continuing. Construction of the Main Road spur bridge over US 17 was set to begin soon. Right-of-way plans for a left-turn lane at Old Pond Road were finalized, and design is underway on a shared-use path for the Limehouse Bridge.

Two milestones are due this quarter: the Main/River/Chisolm roundabout and Ramp 3, which connects to US 17 northbound. In April, Herbert Nimz, engineering manager for Charleston County Public Works, told Live 5 the interchange would "provide free-flow access on and off Johns Island," and that the roundabout and interchange were finishing sooner than expected. The finished interchange will have four ramps, two leaving the island and two entering.

But Ramp 3 isn't opening early just as a finished piece. On September 4, Tidelines reported, relaying the Johns Island Advocate, that the county was still on track for a year-end opening. Tidelines said one reason to open Ramp 3 early is to make room for building the flyover bridge. While the flyover goes up, access to Main Road has to move away from the current intersection. Under the preliminary plan, Ramp 3 would temporarily carry two-way traffic between Charleston and Johns Island. A temporary road would carry traffic between Hollywood/Ravenel and the island. Eventually every ramp will be one-way. Tidelines noted that many details and SCDOT approvals were still being worked out, and that no rerouting date had been given.

So for Main Road drivers, the first change this winter will probably be a detour that keeps traffic moving during construction. The full flyover setup comes later. As of September, the county's alerts archive hadn't posted a switch date.

Maybank's fix is smaller and about a year behind

On the Maybank side, the main problem is the spot where the road narrows to one lane near the River Road intersection. City and county officials plan to add a second lane at that merge. According to Live 5's September 24 report, construction starts early next year and should finish in fall 2027.

The project shrank to fit the site. Mayor William Cogswell told Live 5 that the one-lane plan now costs a little over $10 million, well below the original estimate, because it takes fewer trees and less space. He told the station what shaped the design:

"There are wetlands concerns. There are certainly tree concerns. There are wildlife concerns. All of that gives a pretty limited window as to what your options are."

That puts the merge lane on top of a piece already in place. The Northern Pitchfork opened on March 25, 2024. It gives drivers coming off the Stono River Bridge an alternate way to turn right onto River Road, and gives River Road drivers another way toward Maybank Highway. So by fall 2027, the Maybank side should have a bypass and a widened merge, about a year after the Main Road side gets its roundabout and first ramp.

The same stretch is also getting new places to eat. Stono's Oyster Bar is nearing the end of construction at 2409 Maybank Highway by the Stono River, according to the Post and Courier, with a spring 2027 target. Swig & Swine owner Anthony DiBernardo is developing Lumpy's Place by Swig & Swine at 2871 Maybank Highway, aiming for 2027. Both targets fall in or near the merge lane's construction window. Off Maybank, Locals Sushi & Sports Pub was aiming for a September debut at 1804 Crowne Commons Way in Live Oak Square, its fourth Lowcountry location, according to the Post and Courier. It takes over the space where Blu Smoke Pit closed this summer. An October 8 update to Holy City Sinner's openings list still showed the September target, so check before you go.

The piece with no date is tied to November 3

The Southern Pitchfork has no construction timeline. At the City of Charleston's March 24, 2026 Traffic and Transportation Committee meeting, a developer representative said they didn't know how long the Southern Pitchfork would take. SCDOT wouldn't release a related encroachment permit for a nearby connection and sidewalk until the pitchfork itself was permitted. At the same meeting, Councilmember McBride said there was no guarantee the transportation sales tax would pass in November. He said that if it didn't, the Southern Pitchfork would have no funding unless another source was found.

That tax is now on the ballot. The South Carolina Election Commission lists Charleston County Sales & Use Tax Question 1 for the November 3, 2026 general election. It proposes a half-percent tax for up to 25 years, or until $4.25 billion is collected, whichever comes first. The ballot text divides the money this way:

1. $2.702 billion for roads, bridges and related drainage
2. $858 million for public transit run by CARTA or jointly operated systems
3. $690 million for greenbelts, split evenly between urban and rural

Three Johns Island projects are named in the question: Maybank Highway Southern Pitchfork and Roundabouts, Maybank Highway at Riverland Drive, and a Main Road at Mary Ann Point roundabout. The ballot language also says that if any listed project can't be completed, its share goes to other projects on the list. The county's September 15 release announced a final round of public outreach before the vote.

Some money has already moved. In January, Live 5 reported that the Mark Clark Expressway extension had been canceled. Its remaining funds were proposed for nine council-approved projects, including Main Road Corridor improvements, a fourth lane on Maybank Highway, and roundabouts at River Road and Brownswood Road.

What to watch for this winter

• Signs and alerts near Main Road at US 17. The roundabout and Ramp 3 are both due before the end of December, and no date for the temporary traffic switch had been announced as of September. The project site is mainroadcorridor.com, and the county posts updates in its roads alerts archive.
• The next quarterly meeting. The August update was held at St. Johns High School, 1518 Main Road.
• No change on Maybank until 2027. Merge lane construction is expected to begin early next year.
• November 3. The Southern Pitchfork is named in the ballot question, and city council discussion in March described it as having no funding if the tax fails unless another source is found.

When the roundabout opens and the detour arrives, Johns Island homeowners will start getting questions from friends, buyers and relatives about what the island's commute looks like in 2027 and 2028. Roslyn Kay Parker follows these timelines block by block. If you're thinking about how the Main Road and Maybank schedules line up with your own plans to sell, request a free home valuation and we'll go through the timing with you.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.