Driving School in Wadmalaw Island, SC

JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) — As Charleston County moves forward with a more than $350 million road project aimed at easing congestion at the intersection of U.S. Highway 17 and Main Road, some drivers said the construction is disrupting their daily routine and raising safety concerns.

The long-planned project includes building a new interchange with flyover off-ramps connecting northbound and southbound U.S. 17 to Main Road, along with a Main Road spur bridge over U.S. 17. County leaders have said the improvements are designed to address persistent traffic backups in one of the region’s fastest-growing areas.

A key concern for one driver, James Adams, is the closure of Old Charleston Highway, which is being used to store construction equipment and allow crews to move between the two major roadways. The closure has limited direct access to several nearby businesses, including a Waffle House, a laundromat and a seafood restaurant.

Drivers who once used Old Charleston Highway as a side route now must enter and exit through the heavily congested intersection, navigating fast-moving traffic and frequent standstills.

Adams, who has lived in the area since 2016 and commutes from James Island, said he used to regularly visit the Waffle House near the intersection. Now, he often avoids it.

“With the construction, it’s not safe to turn around,” Adams said. “No matter how far you go down, you’re going to have to fight the traffic and then turn around and come back. I’m living over on James Island, which makes it a big problem.”

He said he is especially frustrated by the decision to block off direct access to the businesses.

“I’m just concerned that they have blocked the entrance into the businesses over here,” Adams said. “I mean, there’s no reason that they can’t allow customers to still come straight across.”

Adams said he has also noticed fewer customers inside the restaurants.

“All the businesses here, not only just Waffle House, are having the same problem,” Adams said. “People are not going… because of this construction. In fact, the Waffle House would normally be completely full right now and there’s just a few people in it.”

Adams said when construction first began, Old Charleston Highway remained open to drivers. Now that access is blocked, he worries the detours are not only inconvenient but potentially dangerous.

Project Manager Herb Nimz said the county understands the frustrations but emphasized the long-term goal of the work.

“We appreciate the community’s patience as the U.S. 17 and Main Road improvements take shape,” Nimz said. “There’s no question that a project of this scale brings temporary disruptions, and the project team is working hard to manage those impacts while keeping this critical work on track. In the end, these short-term inconveniences will pay off with safer travel, reduced congestion, and smoother, more reliable commutes for everyone.”

The overall project is expected to be completed by September 2028. There is currently no timeline for when Old Charleston Highway will reopen.

JOHNS ISLAND — The owners of a Blackfish Road home dumped so much trash and debris on a city of Charleston-owned lot behind their house that it cost Charleston more than $140,000 to remove it all, according to a lawsuit.

Now the city is suing Jose and Rosalinda Martinez for that amount and potentially more, saying they made the mess and should be held responsible. The complaint was filed Jan. 30.

“I don’t know how I’m going to pay this,” said Jose Martinez, who told a reporter he’s a disabled man in his late 50s. “It’s way, way too much.”

Martinez returned a Post and Courier reporter’s phone message left at a number listed for J & J Masonry Contracting, which is registered at the same Blackfish Road address in a residential subdivision on the north side of Maybank Highway.

Behind that property sits about six acres of city-owned vacant land where Charleston is working on the $5.8 million Barberry Woods Drainage Improvement Project. When work began on the project in 2025, the city discovered the construction debris and trash.

On aerial images included in Charleston County’s property records system, tire tracks and piles of debris are clearly visible, going back years.

The county had received complaints about the same property in 2014 and code enforcement found construction debris on the Martinez’s property, which was prohibited. That case ended with the county mailing a violation letter.

According to the 2026 legal complaint, Charleston County put Martinez on notice more than a year ago and issued a ticket, and he removed some of the waste from the city’s land. County records show the process was delayed because of Martinez’ health, the amount of waste and a family medical emergency.

The ticket the county issued was dismissed in May 2025 and the case was closed. But then the full extent of the waste was discovered as the city cleared its adjacent property for the drainage project, according to the county and the city.

It was a roughly 10,000-square-foot area where the waste was between two and eight feet deep, the city claimed.

A contractor hauled it all away, finishing in September 2025, at a cost of $140,862.61, according to the lawsuit.

“I don’t know why they are claiming it’s all my debris,” Martinez said. “Some of it is.”

He said one of the city’s contractors told him not to worry about it, that they would clean it up.

On Jan. 30 the city filed the lawsuit seeking to recoup the cost, plus legal fees and potentially additional damages, along with an injunction barring the couple from trespassing and dumping on city property.

Charleston’s attorney Julia Copeland said the city expects to win a judgment and put a lien on the Martinez’ property, so that the government would get the money it expects to be owed when the property is eventually sold.

The Barberry Woods drainage project is expected to be finished this year.

Drivers along Maybank Highway on Johns Island have been passing a bright green, retro-style sign promising miniature golf is “coming soon.”

The wait is almost over.

Sea Island Mini Golf & Arcade is slated to open in late February, bringing two full 18-hole micro-layouts and a large indoor arcade with several dozen games.

The family-friendly entertainment hub at 3414 Maybank Highway features two separate courses — Alligator Alley and Swampville — complete with fountains, sand traps and mini bridges behind a warehouse-style building and parking area.

More than 40 arcade games will be installed indoors, along with multiple televisions for watching sports, including golf and a concessions counter inside will serve up soft pretzels, ice cream, slushies, nachos and pretzels.

Pending a permit, the food truck will offer pizza, fries and chicken fingers. The owners have also applied for a beer and wine license.

Each hole on the courses is sponsored by a local business, and the first nine holes on each course are wheelchair accessible. The design allows players to complete a full 18-hole round by combining accessible holes across both courses. A practice putting green is included on site.

Co-owners Sandie and Michael Albenesius, who also own and operate St. John’s Kayaks and Boat Tours, said the idea grew out of a desire to offer more activities for teens and families on the island and nearby James Island. They own the Sea Island Mini Golf with two additional co-owners.

Transforming the former storage warehouse took several years.

Players on the mini golf course will receive putters, golf balls, a scorecard and a tiny pencil upon signing up to play the courses.

Outdoor seating, picnic tables and televisions — including coverage from the Golf Channel — are also part of the setup.

Initially, Sea Island Mini Golf & Arcade plans to operate Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. but will fluctuate based on weather or demand. The owners said hours will likely expand as demand grows, particularly heading into the summer season.

Beyond casual play, the venue plans to host birthday parties, corporate events, themed nights and group outings for kids and adults alike.

Rural retail

A national retailer of farm and rural lifestyle supplies is eyeing a new stire at Foxbank Plantation in Moncks Corner, near a community slated for nearly 3,000 homes.

Tractor Supply and PetSense by Tractor Supply have submitted plans to the S.C. Department of Environmental Services for a 21,930-square-foot retail outpost at 219 Foxbank Town Center. The project’s owner and developer is Twin Rivers Capital.

Tractor Supply carries farm supplies, pet and animal feed, clothing, tools, fencing and other rural essentials. PetSense offers grooming services and pet prescriptions.

Brentwood, Tenn.-based Tractor Supply is described as the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the U.S. The chain operates 2,364 namesake stores in 49 states, along with 206 PetSense locations in 23 states.

The company has opened seven stores in the Charleston area since expanding to South Carolina in 2007.

Gold rush

Gold Digger, an antique jewelry store, repair shop and jewelry design studio, will open Feb. 7 in North Charleston's Park Circle area.

The address is 1080 E. Montague Ave.

Gold Digger is owned by Lisa Thomas and daughter Emma, who source pieces during their travels. Each item is inspected and prepared by a master jeweler.

Thomas also owns DIGS Charleston and DIGS Imports, a curated furniture shop located at the same address, as well as Out of Hand in the Old Village in Mount Pleasant.

In addition to antique and vintage jewelry, the shop will offer repair services and custom, one-of-a-kind jewelry design.

Get crackin’

A Cajun-style seafood boil restaurant has opened near Tanger Outlets in North Charleston. Happy Crab Seafood is now serving at 4950 Centre Pointe Drive.

Restore more

The Habitat for Humanity ReStore on the peninsula is now open on Mondays.

The home goods-focused shop at 731 Meeting St., accepts donations and sells discounted building materials, furniture and home products, with proceeds supporting affordable housing efforts in the Charleston area.

Updated store hours are Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sunrise arrives

The wait is over for diners in Goose Creek to get their own outpost of a Johns Island-based diner.

Sunrise Bistro officially opened Feb. 3 at 216 St. James Ave., in the former Ti-Ney Bangkok II Restaurant.

Co-owner Brian Appelt launched the eatery in 2009 with business partner Jessica Welenteichick after the pair spent years working together at Hege’s Restaurant on Johns Island. Other Sunrise Bistro locations are in Mount Pleasant, Johns Island, Aiken and Summerville.

JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) — Charleston city leaders are racing against the clock to find a way to pay for long-needed road and intersection improvements on Johns Island, as traffic congestion continues to worsen and state funding falls short.

City council has until February to decide whether to move forward with a Municipal Improvement District (MID), a tool that would allow the city to collect fees from new development to help fund infrastructure upgrades.

Charleston City Councilman Jim McBride says the issue isn’t the condition of the roads, but their capacity.

“Our population growth has exceeded our infrastructure to support it,” McBride said. “The main reason for that is all the traffic bottlenecks on Johns Island are on state roads — and the state does not have enough money to improve roads and intersections to keep up with the growth.”

Statewide transportation needs total about $70 billion, while projected revenue sits at just $27 billion, leaving a $42 billion funding gap, according to the South Carolina Department of Transportation’s revenue forecast through 2040.

That shortfall has pushed city leaders to consider alternatives like a Municipal Improvement District, which would focus on funding projects the state cannot.

McBride says the idea is to reinvest money from new development back into the community.

“It generates income based on new development on Johns Island that goes back to Johns Island,” he said. “That could be intersection improvements, traffic lights, sidewalks, or pathways connecting neighborhoods to business centers.”

Municipal Improvement Districts allow cities to assess fees on developers whose properties meet specific criteria, helping pay for infrastructure or stormwater drainage improvements tied to growth.

McBride says traffic congestion is already taking a toll on the local economy.

“People aren’t driving to businesses on Johns Island as often because of the traffic,” he said. “That hurts small businesses.”

This is not the first time Charleston has explored the idea. A similar proposal was paused in 2021 while the federal government reviewed its legality. The plan resurfaced at a city council meeting last November, and leaders are now gathering public input before any decision is made.

However, Mayor William Cogswell says timing could limit how effective the district would be.

“It would have been great if this was done 10 years ago,” Cogswell said. “You would’ve had a lot more revenue coming in because it would only be taxing new businesses — and much of Johns Island’s commercial development has already happened.”

The mayor says the city is also considering a Tax Increment District, which would use future growth in property values to pay for infrastructure improvements.

For now, city leaders say no final decision has been made — and traffic on Johns Island remains a growing challenge.