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CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Charleston city leaders are set to vote Tuesday on a plan to use just over $1 million of tourism revenue to help build the Ashley River Pedestrian Bridge.
City officials estimate the full price tag for the bicycle and pedestrian bridge from West Ashley to downtown to be $41.2 million. The project has been years in the making.
The city recently received a $14 million infrastructure grant from the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Study for the Ashley River Crossing project.
Charleston City Council will vote Tuesday to use $1 million in additional hospitality funding to fully fund the project. The city says they have been working with state, local and federal governments to raise money to meet their September deadline.
Officials also stress the main importance of building this bridge is protecting cyclists and pedestrians.
“This is a project about public safety. It’s about bridging that gap across the Ashley River and connecting our downtown residents and our West Ashley residents with safe passage across the river,” Charleston Parks and Capital Projects Director Jason Kronsberg said. “No one will have to worry about car traffic and dodging in and out of sidewalks that are not wide enough across the existing bridges.”
If approved, the city believes the construction contract would be awarded sometime in March of next year. They estimate the project will be completed in 2026.
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