South Carolina Highway 802
Encyclopedia
South Carolina Highway 802 (SC 802) is a 14.9 mile (24 km) state highway located entirely within Beaufort County, South Carolina
. SC 802 primarily serves as the principal access route for Lady's Island
, Port Royal
, and Shell Point
and provides a reliever route for South Carolina Highway 170, U.S. Highway 21
, and Business U.S. 21 in Beaufort
. The route is mostly four lanes wide, with two lane sections on Lady's Island including Lady's Island Drive (a main thoroughfare onto the island), as well as Savannah Highway from Shell Point to the western terminus with SC 170. Lady's Island Drive and Savannah Highway are currently being widened and will likely be finished in 2011.
802 travels along Parris Island Gateway, which becomes Ribaut Road after the Parris Island interchange at the Battery Creek. 802 continues along Ribaut Road through Port Royal up to Lady's Island Drive. Port Royal is currently redeveloping this corridor to include tree-lined medians and pedestrian paths. This will improve safety by restricting dangerous left turns along this busy stretch of the highway, as well as adding some needed aesthetics. 802 then makes a right turn eastbound onto Lady's Island Drive, meeting US 21 from Ribaut Road to the north of the intersection.
802 and 21 travel together as a main thoroughfare onto Lady's Island over the Beaufort River on the McTeer Bridge. A new 2-lane bridge is currently being built to be used as two eastbound lanes, while the old bridge will contain two westbound lanes. After the bridge reaches Lady's Island the highway intersects with Meridian Road and Islands Causeway (leading to Cat, Cane, and Gibbs Islands). This intersection is poorly designed and a preferred solution is not known. 802 and 21 continue to Sea Island Parkway, where US 21 makes a southbound turn onto Sea Island Parkway, where US 21 Business enters from the north and discontinues.
After Sea Island Parkway, 802 travels along the entirety of Sam's Point Road, ending at the Coosaw Island Bridge where the state route discontinues and the road becomes Coosaw Island Drive. For two miles, Sam's Point Road consists of four travel lanes, a center turning lane, and pedestrian pathways. At the intersection of Brickyard Point Road and Holly Hall Road, the right lane turns onto Holly Hall Road, one lane continues eastbound, and the left turning lane directs traffic to Brickyard Point Road. While there is no signal at this intersection, congestion is greatly reduced by forming one westbound lane from 802 and one from Brickyard Point Road. 802 continues along Sam's Point Road for another four miles along the old two-lane section through many of the islands large housing developments until crossing the Lucy Creek and terminating onto Coosaw River Drive.
Beaufort County, South Carolina
-National protected areas:*Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge *Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 155,215 people, 45,532 households, and 33,056 families residing in the county. The population density was 206 people per...
. SC 802 primarily serves as the principal access route for Lady's Island
Lady's Island (South Carolina)
Lady's Island is a predominantly residential Sea Island located in Beaufort County, South Carolina. Portions of the island are within the corporate limits of the City of Beaufort, while other sections remain unincorporated....
, Port Royal
Port Royal, South Carolina
Port Royal is a town in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Largely because of annexation of surrounding areas , the population of Port Royal rose from 3,950 in 2000 to 10,678 in 2010, a 170% increase. As defined by the U.S...
, and Shell Point
Shell Point, South Carolina
Shell Point is a census-designated place in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 2,336 at the 2010 census. As defined by the U.S...
and provides a reliever route for South Carolina Highway 170, U.S. Highway 21
U.S. Route 21
U.S. Route 21 is a north–south United States highway of , from Hunting Island State Park, South Carolina to Wytheville, Virginia.-South Carolina:...
, and Business U.S. 21 in Beaufort
Beaufort, South Carolina
Beaufort is a city in and the county seat of Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South Carolina, behind Charleston. The city's population was 12,361 in the 2010 census. It is located in the Hilton Head Island-Beaufort Micropolitan...
. The route is mostly four lanes wide, with two lane sections on Lady's Island including Lady's Island Drive (a main thoroughfare onto the island), as well as Savannah Highway from Shell Point to the western terminus with SC 170. Lady's Island Drive and Savannah Highway are currently being widened and will likely be finished in 2011.
Route description
SC 802 runs in a generally southwest to northeast direction. Starting at its southwestern terminus at SC 170 at the foot of the Broad River Bridge along Savannah Highway. At the intersection of Savannah Highway and SC 280 (Parris Island Gateway), eastbound 802 traffic merges onto Parris Island Gateway and the route 280 ends. While the eastbound merge is smooth, 802 westbound traffic currently does not have right-of-way. A signal will likely be implemented with the Savannah Highway widening project.802 travels along Parris Island Gateway, which becomes Ribaut Road after the Parris Island interchange at the Battery Creek. 802 continues along Ribaut Road through Port Royal up to Lady's Island Drive. Port Royal is currently redeveloping this corridor to include tree-lined medians and pedestrian paths. This will improve safety by restricting dangerous left turns along this busy stretch of the highway, as well as adding some needed aesthetics. 802 then makes a right turn eastbound onto Lady's Island Drive, meeting US 21 from Ribaut Road to the north of the intersection.
802 and 21 travel together as a main thoroughfare onto Lady's Island over the Beaufort River on the McTeer Bridge. A new 2-lane bridge is currently being built to be used as two eastbound lanes, while the old bridge will contain two westbound lanes. After the bridge reaches Lady's Island the highway intersects with Meridian Road and Islands Causeway (leading to Cat, Cane, and Gibbs Islands). This intersection is poorly designed and a preferred solution is not known. 802 and 21 continue to Sea Island Parkway, where US 21 makes a southbound turn onto Sea Island Parkway, where US 21 Business enters from the north and discontinues.
After Sea Island Parkway, 802 travels along the entirety of Sam's Point Road, ending at the Coosaw Island Bridge where the state route discontinues and the road becomes Coosaw Island Drive. For two miles, Sam's Point Road consists of four travel lanes, a center turning lane, and pedestrian pathways. At the intersection of Brickyard Point Road and Holly Hall Road, the right lane turns onto Holly Hall Road, one lane continues eastbound, and the left turning lane directs traffic to Brickyard Point Road. While there is no signal at this intersection, congestion is greatly reduced by forming one westbound lane from 802 and one from Brickyard Point Road. 802 continues along Sam's Point Road for another four miles along the old two-lane section through many of the islands large housing developments until crossing the Lucy Creek and terminating onto Coosaw River Drive.
Construction
In the fall of 2009, construction was started on two segments of route 802 known as Savannah Highway and Lady's Island Drive to widen from 2 lanes of traffic to 4 lanes of traffic. Once construction is finished, the 802 route will have been completely widened to 4 lanes from highway 170 to Lady's Island.Major Intersections
- Coosaw River Drive on Coosaw Island between Lady's IslandLady's Island (South Carolina)Lady's Island is a predominantly residential Sea Island located in Beaufort County, South Carolina. Portions of the island are within the corporate limits of the City of Beaufort, while other sections remain unincorporated....
and Port RoyalPort Royal, South CarolinaPort Royal is a town in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Largely because of annexation of surrounding areas , the population of Port Royal rose from 3,950 in 2000 to 10,678 in 2010, a 170% increase. As defined by the U.S...
in Shell PointShell Point, South CarolinaShell Point is a census-designated place in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 2,336 at the 2010 census. As defined by the U.S...
near the Broad River BridgeBroad River BridgeThe Broad River Bridge is a 1.7-mile long highway bridge that spans the Broad River in Beaufort County, South Carolina. Originally built as a two-lane drawbridge, growth pressures and safety concerns demanded that a larger and taller fixed-span bridge be built...