From The Blog

Infrastructure Improvements Kick Off on the Island After Labor Day

Kiawah is a private island and most infrastructure behind the gate is maintained by KICA through the association’s reserve fund. Each year, KICA’s Major Repairs and Replacements (MR&R) Department does just what the name says, repairing and replacing drainage infrastructure, roadways, bridges and more. A replacement schedule means that the association anticipates the degradation of materials, so that Kiawah infrastructure is maintained at the association’s high standard. 

As you likely know, large infrastructure projects and those that cause inconvenience on main thoroughfares are generally reserved for the off-season, between Labor Day and Memorial Day, when fewer people are on the island. As we move closer to Labor Day, we’re also gearing up for some infrastructure projects to improve life on the island. 

Flood Mitigation

The only project on this list that doesn’t fall under KICA’s reserve fund are the flood mitigation projects, which were approved by a vote of the members in the spring of 2020, and are funded by a special assessment. The projects are intended to reduce flooding on the island’s main thoroughfares, and the final three will get underway this fall. Two projects, Project 4 at the V-Gate and Project 5 at Halona Lane, will reduce problem flooding in the V-Gate where there is no possible detour and the immediate Governors Drive area. The final phase of Project 6 will reconfigure convoluted water infrastructure for a more efficient drainage system. Two phases of this project (dredging the Trumpet Creeper inlet and repairing and removing sediment from pipes) have already been completed. These projects are currently awaiting permits. Specific timelines will be provided before work gets underway. For a complete look at these projects, visit kica.us/flood. 

Island-wide Paving Project

Phase 3 of the island-wide paving project initiated by the board of directors will get started in the next few weeks. In 2021, KICA’s board of directors voted to use some of the contributions to reserves (CTR) fees from the island’s booming real estate sales to fund an island-wide upgrade to roadway standards. The island’s KICA-owned roadways were rated by an outside engineering firm and all roads were categorized as poor, fair, good or excellent. The new standard means that any roadway currently rated ‘poor’ or ‘fair’ will be repaired to the standard of ‘excellent,’ and maintained in perpetuity at a ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ rating.

Forty-one roads have already been completed, and the remaining roads will be scheduled for Phase 3. Once the project schedule is finalized, members who live on roads scheduled for paving will be notified individually via email. This project is weather-dependent; while rain days are typically built into the schedule, prolonged periods of poor weather can impact this project’s timing.

Main Gate Paver Replacement

After Labor Day, the team will start the replacement of pavers at the Main Gate, where the bricks are reaching the end of their usable life. During this time, one lane will be closed in the outbound direction as the new pavers are installed and cure in place. Each lane is expected to close for about two weeks. During that time, members may experience delays in this location. Please use caution when passing workers on the road.

Rhett’s Bluff Drainage 

Drainage improvements in the Rhett’s Bluff neighborhood will get underway in the next few weeks. This work is part of KICA’s regular drainage improvements, and will not impact members except in localized areas while work is underway. Members who will be impacted by this work will be notified directly prior to the start of the project.

Rhett’s Bluff Boat Launch Concrete Apron

The concrete apron at Rhett’s Bluff will get underway following the holiday weekend. During this work, one side of the launch will be open for use by members. Please make sure to follow all directional instructions while using the launch and watch for workers in the area. This improvement is intended to make use of the launch smoother and more convenient for members to use.