Mount Pleasant Magazine Sept/Oct 2013

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1959 – A two-year
project widens Coleman
Boulevard from a two-lane,
18-foot wide road to a
four-lane roadway ranging
in width from 52 feet to 62
feet. The Shem Creek Bridge
is also widened, from 26 feet
to 56 feet.
1980s –
Businesses shift away
from Coleman Boulevard
to Johnnie Dodds
Boulevard, a frontage
road that parallels the
Route 17 bypass.
1989
– Hurricane
Hugo destroys
struggling
businesses
on Coleman
Boulevard.
2005 – The Arthur Ravenel
Bridge opens, replacing the
two old Cooper River bridges.
Two traffic lanes lead directly
onto Coleman Boulevard, where
Palmetto trees and decorative
lighting greet those entering
Mount Pleasant.
1993 – A revitalization
program is announced for
Coleman Boulevard.
1958 – A 2.4-
mile section of Old
Georgetown Road –
also known as Route
17 – that begins at
the foot of the Cooper
River Bridge and ends
at the fork where it
becomes Route 401 –
Ben Sawyer Boulevard
– is renamed to honor
Mayor Francis F.
Coleman.
1966 – The Pearman
Bridge across the Cooper River
opens, bringing more people
into Mount Pleasant, and
construction gets underway
on the bypass for Route 17,
through former farmland in
Christ Church Parish.
2008-Present – A
revitalization/enhancement
is announced for Coleman
Boulevard as part of the“Main
Street”project. Decorative
crosswalks, landscaped
medians, on-street parking
and a traffic circle at the
intersection of Coleman, Ben
Sawyer and Chuck Dawley
boulevards is planned.
1958 – Plans call for
a second bridge across
the Cooper River and
for Route 17 to bypass
Coleman Boulevard. It will
later connect to Route
17 near the present-day
K-Mart store.
1960s – The first
restaurants open on
Shem Creek.
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