Charles & Craven Street Drainage Project

The Charles-Craven Streets Drainage project requires that the intersection of Bay Street and Charles Street be closed to traffic beginning November 13, with downtown access remaining available via marked detours. The intersection will remain closed for five to six weeks. 

This project is funded through the American Rescue Plan Act using State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. It is managed by the South Carolina Office of Resiliency (SCOR). The work is essential to improving stormwater management, protecting key downtown corridors from future flooding, and ensuring the long-term health and safety of the area.

Bay Street will remain open to pedestrian and vehicle traffic and parking. And, with some modification as needed, all regularly scheduled holiday events, including Night on the Town and the Christmas Parade, will continue as planned.

Changes for parking, commerce

The City of Beaufort is making some proactive changes to its parking situation in order to show support for downtown businesses during the intersection closure. The Marina Parking Lot is now open for free all-day public parking, two weeks earlier than the usual free parking period during the holidays. 

Also:

Free 2-hour parking through ParkMobile: Visitors can get two hours of free parking when using the ParkMobile app. A new code will be shared each week, available on the City of Beaufort’s social media pages, Main Street Beaufort’s channels, the City website, or by contacting Park Beaufort directly. 

Beaufort magic vouchers: A “Beaufort Magic” voucher will be printed in The Island News. Visitors can cut out the voucher and exchange it at Park Beaufort for a two-1-hour parking tokens.

Downtown business tokens: The City’s Downtown Operations team will be distributing parking tokens to downtown merchants for customer use, as part of an upcoming parking partnership initiative that will be announced soon.

Free holiday shuttle service: Beginning Black Friday (Nov. 29) and continuing Tuesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., free shuttles will operate between all available downtown parking areas and Bay Street. The shuttle service will provide an easy, family-friendly way to get to shops, restaurants, and holiday events without the stress of finding a parking spot.

Downtown Beaufort dollars (coming soon): The City is also developing a “Downtown Beaufort Dollars” program, which will provide special discounts and incentives for shopping with participating local merchants. More details will be released soon.