Many thanks to Davis & Floyd for sponsoring the “140 Feet Below” Walking Tour of the Charleston Market Drainage Improvement Project, and to our excellent tour guides Jared Bramblett and Chris Haynes.

Davis & Floyd is currently working with the City of Charleston on the development of construction documents for the third and final phase of the Market Street Drainage Improvement Project. Access and drop shafts, along with deep tunnels running approximately 140’ below Concord Street and the Market Sheds, were constructed under previous phases, and the system connects to an existing pump station on Concord Street, near Calhoun, that lifts the water into the Cooper River. Engineers, landscape architects, and planners are currently finalizing construction documents for a new near-surface drainage system that will convey water from the streets into the drop shafts and a streetscape plan to improve pedestrian flow and beautify the Market Street corridor. Once complete, the project will improve the public realm of the space, alleviate flooding during frequent storm events, and allow for the area to recover more quickly from tidal surge events (like we saw during Hurricane Irma).