CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – City of Charleston leaders and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) are providing an update on the project that could potentially bring a seawall to the city in the next decade.

The last update was shared in April of 2020. The biggest change between the reports is a major cost decrease. The estimated cost dropped from $1.7 billion to $1.1 billion. Project leaders expect that the federal government will cover 65% of the project coast leaving the City of Charleston to cover the other 35%.

The seawall would address storm surge should a major storm come to town. It would essentially block water from coming onto land.

City leaders say something like this is needed to keep the city safe for decades to come.

“99% of residential structures on the peninsula are at risk for surge impacts. 98% of businesses, 100% of key roads, 50% of fire and police stations,” said Dale Morris, the city’s Chief Resilience Officer.

Currently, the project leaders ar looking for public comments in hopes that the proposal can move forward with figuring out the best structure, design, placement etc. To add your opinion, click here.

For a more comprehensive look at the project, click here.