From The Blog

Cinder Creek Walk Bridge Construction Begins

In June, KICA began construction work on the Cinder Creek walk bridge, creating a leisure trail bridge on Governors Drive, where it crosses Cinder Creek. Currently, Governors Drive leisure trail traffic must share the road with vehicular traffic at the Cinder Creek causeway. The new walk bridge will create a safer path for our pedestrian and bicycle traffic as they continue down the leisure trail towards Ocean Course Drive.

The Cinder Creek walk bridge is a six month construction project, which will entail additional noise in the area, as well as traffic delays and detours. Below are some details on the project.

Construction Hours
Construction hours for this project are the standard construction hours for Kiawah Island, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. There will be no construction on Sundays or designated holidays.

Vehicular Traffic
Beginning Monday, June 13, Governor’s Drive was reduced to one lane of traffic during construction hours. Traffic is being controlled by certified traffic flaggers, who are assisting traffic with negotiating the construction zone. Please expect traffic delays through this area. Outside of construction hours, both lanes will be open to vehicular traffic. In order to avoid traffic delays, we encourage you to use Flyway Drive as an alternate route to Ocean Course Drive.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Traffic
With an active construction zone and only one lane of vehicular traffic, we strongly urge all pedestrian and bicycle traffic to take alternate routes, avoiding the construction zone, both trail and road, completely. There are two detours for pedestrian and bicycle traffic:

Alternate 1: From the Governors Drive leisure trail, use Tallow Tree Lane, following this to Whimbrel Road, then to Bufflehead Drive. From Bufflehead, one can travel east to reconnect to the Governors Drive leisure trail or one can travel west to the leisure trail near 28 Bufflehead, then down to beach boardwalks on Flyway Drive.

Alternate 2: From the Governors Drive leisure trail, utilize Flyway Drive and the Allee of Oaks leisure trail. Flyway Drive will provide access to numerous beach boardwalks, as well as access out to Ocean Course Drive. A map of trail detour routes is posted at www.kica.us ( view the News section, then Current Maintenance and Projects). In order to assist members, guests and visitors, signage is posted for the leisure trail detours.

Bufflehead Drive – Parking
As KICA expects increased pedestrian and bicycle traffic on Bufflehead Drive, for the duration of this project, KICA is enforcing parking on one side of the street only, so vehicular traffic can maintain a clear line of sight for pedestrian and bicycle traffic sharing this street. This parking enforcement began on Thursday, June 9. Signage is in place to assist members and contractors. Vehicles are not permitted to park on the south side of Bufflehead Drive, i.e. 1-32 Bufflehead Drive and 500-533 Bufflehead Drive. Please exercise additional caution in this area. Speed limits will be strictly enforced to assure safety.

Noise
As part of the construction for the Cinder Creek walk bridge, four pilings will need to be driven, as well as a sheet pile wall installed. These installations will create additional noise in the area, within the designated construction hours. Project updates will be provided weekly at www.kica.us so members will know when to expect this work to begin and end.