The I-526 Extension is a BAD DEAL for Charleston County taxpayers.

BY VOTING NO WE CAN HELP CHARLESTON'S CLIMATE FUTURE

The I-526 Extension will destroy Charleston's natural resources and amplify the effects of climate change.

The I-526 Extension would cut a busy roadway across the Stono River, damaging wetlands important to the water quality of the river. These wetlands filter pollutants from entering the river and surrounding marshlands. Damaging these wetlands would undermine all of this. The project would also add two bridges over the Stono, increasing the amount of tire particles, oil, microplastics and other pollutants that will run off of the two roadways and into the river and surrounding marshland.

The proposed route crosses a low-lying area that is exposed to several feet of water with even a low-grade hurricane. This area will continue to be impacted by tidal flooding and sea-level rise in the coming years. Adding infrastructure like a bridge and concrete roadway will worsen these impacts and make managing flooding even more difficult.

The project doesn’t consider sea-level rise, with portions of the route planned for areas highly vulnerable to increased flooding; Charleston County taxpayers deserve smart investments in resilient solutions.

We aren't just saving wetlands — we are saving James Island County Park.

The beloved James Island County Park is directly in the path of the proposed route. These few miles of road will destroy nearly 50 acres of the park—the equivalent of 38 football fields’ worth of space. The public would lose access to a creek, wetlands, campgrounds, a disc golf course and more. This would also significantly and permanently damage habitat for plants and wildlife.

The negative impacts for Charleston County outweigh the benefits of a $5.4 billion transportation tax.

The I-526 highway extension creates another barrier that divides communities like other highways have. Many communities will be burdened by the project’s negative impacts while receiving no benefits. The proposed extension would have severe impacts for settlement communities, displacing families and taking property in Ferguson Village & Cross Cut on James Island and along Jessy Elizabeth Road on Johns Island.