Hampton Park loop to be closed for resurfacing next week

The road looping around Hampton Park in downtown Charleston will be closed for five days next week so that the route can be resurfaced and the new bicycle path added.

Both lanes on Mary Murray Drive will be closed daily from 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. beginning Monday and continuing through Friday.

The work will be done by Charleston County, but the alteration of the inside loop to a biking and pedestrian lane was approved last year by Charleston City Council.

The effort includes removing and replacing the old asphalt surface, and then the road will be re-striped with the addition of a single travel lane for vehicles, and a dedicated bicycle lane.

During the closure, signs will detour traffic around Hampton Park.

In June, City Council approved adding a recreational bicycle and pedestrian lane around the park. While cars, trucks and motorcycles will still be allowed to drive on the outside portion of Mary Murray Boulevard, the inside loop will be redrawn to feature a 5-foot-wide biking lane.

The very inside of the loop will be designated a jogging and walking path of about 3 feet wide. For safety, bikers and joggers will be separated by 4 feet of painted buffering.

The idea drew controversy and arguments about safety when it pitted recreation advocates against people who live in the area who wanted to continue to use both lanes for car travel.