Drivers squeezing through the Magwood Drive and I-526 interchange in West Ashley know the drill: brake lights, backups, and a bottleneck that has only gotten worse as the area keeps growing. Whether that chokepoint finally gets fixed now rests on Charleston County voters, who head to the polls Nov. 3, 2026, to decide on a transportation sales tax that includes $100 million earmarked for the intersection.
The Magwood Drive and I-526 intersection has become a major bottleneck for drivers moving between the interstate and West Ashley, according to Live 5 News. The proposed fix there depends entirely on voters approving the transportation sales tax referendum and on subsequent planning work, the station reports. Separately, the South Carolina Department of Transportation is already planning a westbound bridge over Magwood Drive for traffic leaving I-526 toward West Ashley, with that SCDOT bridge project currently in the planning phase and construction expected to begin in 2029.
Charleston City Councilman Stephen Bowden, who represents District 10 and includes the intersection in his district, said the SCDOT bridge alone will not fully relieve the bottleneck. The sales tax money, he said, would let commuters feel the full impact of the city's earlier work widening Glenn McConnell Parkway. That widening project, stretching between Bees Ferry Road and Magwood Drive, expanded the roadway from four lanes to six and added a shared-use path along with other pedestrian, cyclist and transit improvements, according to Charleston County's roads department, which confirmed the project was complete in April 2024.
What the Sales Tax Money Would Actually Build
If voters approve it, the proposed project could add an eastbound flyover at Magwood Drive, allowing drivers heading onto I-526 to pass above the intersection while other traffic continues to use it below, per the station's report. That would work alongside the separate SCDOT-planned westbound bridge, addressing congestion from both directions. The broader Charleston city project list includes the full $100 million to rework the Glenn McConnell Parkway and Magwood Road connection, according to The Post and Courier.
The proposed Transportation Sales Tax Program is projected to generate approximately $4.25 billion over 25 years, according to the county's own official referendum materials, which state that roadway infrastructure would receive 64% of that funding, or $2.7 billion. The Post and Courier's reporting on the finalized project list cited the same $4.25 billion figure, while an earlier Post and Courier report on West Ashley's traffic and flooding problems described the county as proposing to extend the tax to raise $5.4 billion for infrastructure projects. The county's official materials also point to the 2026 ballot date of Nov. 3, though the earlier Post and Courier piece had referenced a Nov. 5 ballot date.
Beyond roads, the program would fund public transit and greenspace preservation, including nearly $690 million for the county's Greenbelt program to protect land from development, per the county's referendum site. The package also includes funding for CARTA operations, fleet replacement, passenger amenities and regional transit initiatives such as Lowcountry Rapid Transit, the same source notes.
A Separate Flyover, A Separate Timeline
It is worth untangling the pieces here, because more than one project touches this same stretch of road. The I-526 Lowcountry Corridor project, a larger interstate undertaking, would improve the northbound Glenn McConnell Parkway exit ramp by bridging over the Magwood Drive intersection and would widen I-526 itself by adding two lanes in each direction between Paul Cantrell Boulevard and North Rhett Avenue, according to the 526 Lowcountry Corridor project website. Those interstate improvements are anticipated to be constructed from 2029 through 2039, the same source states.
Bowden acknowledged that officials also plan to retime traffic lights across West Ashley, with the city pursuing a grant for that purpose, according to a separate Live 5 News report. But he said retiming signals could help without solving the congestion entirely. For Bowden, the sales tax represents something bigger than one intersection: a way for the county to respond to development pressures and regain control over community decisions, he said.
Residents Weigh Relief Against the Tax Bill
West Ashley residents say the growth around them has outpaced the roads built to handle it. Eddie Corley, who lives in West Ashley, said growth in the area and beyond has moved faster than the infrastructure meant to support it. Hayden Haberle, who lives off Glenn McConnell Parkway, said he wants traffic solutions but is not necessarily comfortable paying more in taxes to get them.
That growth shows no signs of slowing. The Long Savanna development is planned to bring 4,500 housing units to Bear Swamp Road near Bees Ferry Road and Savannah Highway, and the project is expected to take years to complete, built in phases, according to Live 5 News's earlier coverage of the development. Planners have since swapped in a new elementary school in place of another apartment building there, aiming to cut down on school-related trips clogging the same major roads.
Borrowing Against Future Revenue
A separate ballot question asks voters to approve borrowing against expected sales tax revenue. Bowden said that borrowing could make funds available sooner and accelerate projects that might otherwise wait years for enough tax collections to build up. If the tax passes, Charleston County plans to spend its first year designing major projects while advancing smaller improvements, including intersection upgrades and roundabouts, officials say.
There is precedent for the county's existing tax running its course: the current 2004 transportation sales tax could reach its $1.3 billion collection target in 2027, per the Post and Courier's reporting. Bowden is urging his constituents in District 10 to approve the new sales tax on Election Day, framing it as the path toward finally relieving a bottleneck that has frustrated commuters for years.
