By early November, nearly every way into the middle of Daniel Island runs past a barrier. River Landing Drive is closed at Seven Farms Drive. The boardwalk between Fairchild Drive and Seven Farms is fenced off. The walk bridge behind the tennis center is shut, and Pier View Street has been listed as closed for utility work since last December.
Five projects by three different bodies are working within the same few blocks. Four of them end in something built for people on foot: curb extensions with flashing beacons at a crosswalk, a stronger boardwalk, a replacement bridge, and a roundabout whose contract includes pedestrian beacons. The fifth is a utility repair. The island's town center is getting harder to walk this month largely because it is being rebuilt to be easier to walk.
Five projects within a few blocks
Here is where each one stood heading into November 2026.
| Project | Who is running it | Where | Timing | What it adds for walkers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roundabout | Berkeley County, contractor Blythe Development | River Landing Dr between Seven Farms Dr and Pier View St | All lanes closed Oct 2, 2026 through Mar 31, 2027 | Pedestrian beacons and landscaping |
| Crosswalk safety work | City of Charleston, contractor Wildwood | Seven Farms Dr at Pier View St | Expected to begin in late October 2026 | Curb extensions and flashing beacons |
| Boardwalk rebuild | Daniel Island Town Association | River Landing Dr boardwalk, Fairchild Dr to Seven Farms Dr | Closed Oct 5 for about six weeks, weather permitting | A rebuilt, stronger boardwalk |
| Walk bridge replacement | DITA, on a City-owned bridge | Trail behind the tennis center | Closed, no reopening date yet | A full replacement bridge |
| Utility repairs | Listed on the City road-closure feed | Daniel Island Dr and Pier View St segments | Dec 19, 2025 through Jan 31, 2027 | Not stated |
The roundabout and the crosswalk work sit one block apart along Seven Farms. The boardwalk runs into that same stretch at its Seven Farms end. For anyone who walks from the River Landing side toward the shops and restaurants along Seven Farms, all three projects block the same route.
The roundabout sets the calendar
The roundabout will take the longest of the projects that have dates, and its timeline holds up. Berkeley County Council awarded the $2,569,097.76 contract to Blythe Development on July 27, 2026. The award covers landscaping and pedestrian beacons as well as the circle itself. In September, The Daniel Island News reported that the project would replace the four-way traffic lights at Seven Farms and River Landing and was expected to last up to 180 days. The City of Charleston's road-closure feed lists the closure starting October 2 and ending March 31, 2027. That works out to about 180 days, which matches the September estimate.
Before work began, the same Daniel Island News report described what nearby neighbors were worried about. Berkeley County Councilman Jarrod Brooks told the paper that people living in condos and apartments expected drivers to cut through their parking lots. The two shortcuts he named were behind the condo units at 254 Seven Farms Drive and through the large lot behind the office and residential building at 225 Seven Farms Drive.
"We don't want their parking lots to become a freeway for the next three or four months while this is done."
Brooks said that in The Daniel Island News. In the same article he described a longer-term change for the small businesses at 211 River Landing Drive, including Posh Nail Lounge and the Daniel Island Barbershop. They sit on a one-way street their customers use for parking. A new concrete median running from the roundabout down Seven Farms toward Bishop England would limit access the way traffic flows now, and Brooks said the county would "probably end up reversing traffic" to keep those businesses easy to reach. The article also mentioned a daycare whose children cross that intersection to reach the waterfront and the park. That detail explains why pedestrian beacons are part of the contract.
One block over, the crossing residents asked for
The crosswalk project at Seven Farms Drive and Pier View Street started with residents. In its October 21 release, the City said residents had raised safety at that intersection "repeatedly," and that it came up among the questions submitted before Mayor William Cogswell's State of Our City: Daniel Island & Cainhoy event. Wildwood is the contractor, the cost is $182,000, and work on curb extensions and flashing beacons was expected to begin "as soon as next week."
So this November, residents will have the roundabout's pedestrian beacons going in on one side of the River Landing block and new curb extensions and flashing beacons going in at Pier View. Both projects target the same short walk.
The boardwalk should come back first
The River Landing Drive boardwalk will likely be the first thing to reopen. In its September 29 notice, the Daniel Island Property Owners' Association said the Daniel Island Town Association was rebuilding the stretch between Fairchild Drive and Seven Farms Drive, with funding from the Daniel Island Community Fund. The notice described a boardwalk worn down by "foot traffic, bikes, strollers, and dog walks every day." It closed Monday, October 5, for about six weeks, depending on the weather. Six weeks from October 5 falls around November 16. That is a forecast, not a reopening date, and the POA said it would post an update if the timing changed. Until then, the notice asks walkers to stay behind the barriers and not walk around them.
The walk bridge behind the tennis center will take much longer. The POA's October 19 update said an engineering inspection found structural problems, that repairs were not practical, and that the bridge will be fully replaced. Design and engineering are done. Because the bridge crosses tidal marsh, it falls under the State's coastal critical area rules, so the permit application goes to SCDES. To save time, the replacement is going out to bid while the permit is under review. The POA says it cannot give a firm reopening date until it has the permit and a contractor. Questions go to Tony Elder, DITA's Director of Operations, at 843-412-2260.
Where the walking still works
The POA describes an island trail network of more than 25 miles, running through maritime forest, along marsh and waterfront, through neighborhoods, and downtown. Most of it is open and far from the construction:
- Island Park Loop, listed at 2.6 miles.
- Ralston Creek Loop, listed at 1.9 miles.
- Grove Park Loop, listed at 0.9 miles.
- Smythe Park, with pedestrian trails, including a history trail, around its 11-acre lake.
- Governors Park, with waterfront trails and a dog run, and the Farr Street Dog Park.
The POA trail directory also lists the Smythe to Townsend Loop, Edgefield Loop, Watroo Point Loop and Treehouse Spur, among others. The Riverfront Loop runs 1.78 miles along the Wando River, behind the LTP Tennis Center and under the Wando bridge toward Governors Park. It passes a cemetery, the Pritchard Shipyard marker and the Fairbank Plantation site. Because the closed bridge also sits behind the tennis center, check the posted signs before starting that loop.
November's gatherings sit at the edges
This month's three main community events are all held away from the construction zone or are easy to reach around it.
- Daniel Island Community Foundation Thanksgiving drive, November 2 to 24. Drop-offs go to the POA office at 130 River Landing Drive, Suite 1C, Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Donations benefit the Lowcountry Food Bank, ECCO and Lowcountry Blessing Boxes.
- Daniel Island Holiday Market, Saturday, November 14, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It's held at the Daniel Island Recreation Center, 160 Fairbanks Drive. The organizer's site advertises more than 40 local vendors and free entry.
- Daniel Island Happy Hour 3 Mile Turkey Trot, Saturday, November 21, 10 a.m. It starts and finishes at the Credit One gravel lot, 161 Seven Farms Drive. According to the race listing, the group follows Daniel Island trails and ends with a gathering at LIDI. The listing doesn't publish a turn-by-turn route.
The Turkey Trot is likely the first big group outing on the trails after the boardwalk's projected reopening, if the weather keeps the six-week schedule on track.
What comes after the barriers
The City's October 21 release also covered projects beyond this winter, and both would add to the same walking network. Mayor Cogswell announced a public input process for 62 acres off Oak Leaf Street that the Brumley family donated to the City. Ideas raised by staff so far include athletic fields, trails and parking, and residents can share their own ideas starting in January.
"That growth makes every open acre worth more. We want to get this one right, and that starts with listening to what residents want."
That's Mayor Cogswell, quoted in the City of Charleston's announcement. The same release mentioned a concept for a public pier behind the Daniel Island Recreation Center, the building that hosts the Holiday Market on November 14. The City says the pier "remains a concept," and any plan would go through its standard public process.
Here is the timeline as published. The boardwalk is projected for mid-November. The utility closures on Daniel Island Drive and Pier View Street are listed through January 31, 2027. Public input on the Oak Leaf Street acreage opens in January. The River Landing closure for the roundabout runs through March 31, 2027. The bridge replacement depends on a state permit that has not been issued. The City's feed is updated live, so check it again before planning a route around these dates.
Projects like these also come up when we prepare homes for market. They affect how a showing route is planned, how a walk to the waterfront gets described, and when photographs are taken. If you own a home near Seven Farms or River Landing and want to talk about timing a listing around these projects, St. Germain Properties is glad to help. Request a Private Consultation, and we'll go over it with you in person.
