A simple solution for a Maybank and River bottleneck?

Could the solution to a chronic traffic problem be as simple as making a traffic light stay green a little longer?

County Councilman Joe Qualey thinks that could be true.

Traffic snarls every evening at the intersection of Maybank Highway and River Road on Johns Island as vehicles back up on the bridge over the Stono River. It’s so bad people call it the “bottleneck bridge.” Qualey says his simple idea might improve the situation at least a bit, and it won’t cost a dime. He wants the city of Charleston to change the timing of the light so it stays green a little longer, allowing more traffic from Maybank Highway to pass through the intersection. If more cars could move through the intersection, fewer would back up on the bridge, Qualey said.

This afternoon, Hernan Pena, the city’s director of traffic and transportation, will meet Qualey and council members Anna Johnson and Herb Sass at the intersection to discuss the timing of the light and other possibilities for alleviating traffic.

Reach Diane Knich at 937-5491 or on Twitter @dianeknich.