From The Blog

Upgrades to Pedestrian Safety, Trails and Boardwalks to Improve Your Island Experience

One of the association’s core responsibilities is maintaining our island’s common property infrastructure – roads, bridges, drainage, leisure trails and boardwalks – inside the Main Gate. Infrastructure can be something that people don’t think about unless there’s an apparent problem, but the Kiawah standard means that our team is reviewing and maintaining at a level that precludes that in most cases.

Pedestrian Safety

KICA’s common property leisure trails are your pathways to adventure on the island. In the 2023 member survey, 96% of respondents reported using Kiawah’s leisure trails frequently or sometimes, making them one of KICA’s most popular amenities.

This level of use means that KICA is consistently looking to improve the member experience on these critical pathways. In 2025, some exciting projects will make it safer and more pleasurable when you hit the trail.

 

Killdeer Nature Trail improvement – Underway

Following tidal washout and erosion of one of the island’s nature trails, KICA is undertaking a series of improvements to preserve this trail for the use of current and future members. These improvements are anticipated to be complete by the end of March.

 

Crosswalk Safety Improvement Coming to Kiawah’s Busiest Intersection – Underway

The crossing at the intersection of the Kiawah Island Parkway and Kiawah Beach Drive receives the greatest volume of vehicular traffic on the island, and a blind turn in the outbound lane limits visibility to pedestrians. In April, the community association’s contractor will install flashing crosswalk signs to alert drivers of pedestrians. Once a pedestrian pushes the button to cross, lights will flash until the thermal sensors detect when the person has safely crossed the Kiawah Island Parkway.

The pedestals for the signs are currently visible on the parkway. The next steps in the process will be boring under the road to run electrical lines, followed by sign installation.

 

Easier Transitions Coming to Green Dolphin Way Trails

A KICA contractor will smooth leisure trail transitions that can make for a bumpy ride. The new transitions will mean a seamless shift onto roadway crossings, making the trails more accessible for all users. This work is planned for Green Dolphin Way near the end of Q1 or in Q2 of 2025.

 

Walkbridge From Atlantic Beach Court

The walkbridge crossing over Pond 41 from Silver Moss Circle to Atlantic Beach Court received an emergency piling repair last year, which resulted in the bridge’s closure. In the 2025 budget, the board of directors approved the complete replacement of the walkbridge. Work is anticipated to get underway in Q3 and take about three weeks to complete.

Boardwalks

Each year, KICA budgets for the repair and replacement of association-owned boardwalks. Boardwalks are KICA’s most used island amenity. Six boardwalks are expected to undergo repairs in 2025: 28, 31, 33, 34, 38 and 39.

These boardwalks are receiving routine maintenance or have been inundated by accreting sand. While accreting sand is a blessing for the beach, it’s been a problem for members using these boardwalks. KICA is currently working with the ARB and the town, as the state’s representative for OCRM, to get approval for updates to boardwalks 28, 31, 33, and 39. Boardwalks 34 and 38 are still in the design phase.

Contact KICA

Wherever work is underway, please respect the construction sites use detours, and remind your guests to do the same.

KICA is always working to maintain our community’s assets, like trails, boardwalks and amenities. Projects are determined through our annual Reserve Study, which tracks the lifespan of infrastructure, and through member input, provided in surveys and reported issues.

If you see an issue with common-property infrastructure or amenities, let us know. The Member Services team is available at 843-768-9194 and there’s also a Report an Issue form in your member account (kica.us/login), which routes the issue directly to the appropriate contact.