Laurel Hill Parkway (new road, part of the Highway 41 project)

Charleston County. A new two-lane local connection road from Highway 41 to Park West Boulevard, roughly one mile, included in the Highway 41 Corridor Improvements project. Published design features: one lane each direction, 35 mph speed limit, a 10-foot multi-use path separated from the roadway, a pedestrian boardwalk crossing at a critical-area wetland, and rebuilt Park West Boulevard roundabout with a bypass lane, lighting and high-visibility crosswalks. The County states that without the Parkway the 4-3-4 configuration "will not be able to handle the forecasted traffic and will result in gridlock," and projects 2045 time savings of 10-20 minutes for Dunes West and Park West trips and roughly 20 minutes for peak-hour trips to Highway 17. The County states the Parkway will cut traffic on Bessemer Road by 90%. This element drew the most public opposition because of right-of-way taken from Charleston County's Laurel Hill County Park; the County says no Section 4(f) review applies because no federal funds or FHWA oversight are involved. POLITICAL STATUS: Mount Pleasant Town Council voted 5-4 on July 14, 2026 against revoking municipal consent, then granted the County consent to proceed. Verified Sept 4, 2026.