Newmarket Creek project would aid flooding, public space

Up until recently, few in Charleston appeared to give much thought to Newmarket Creek, the tidal inlet that meanders into the upper peninsula from the Cooper River. When the S.C. Department of Transportation was determining the alignment for what eventually would be named the Ravenel Bridge, its top priority — as reinforced by many public comments — was to minimize impacts to existing businesses and homes, so the new span's massive piers were sunk into the creek and surrounding marsh.

But today, two decades later, as the upper peninsula continues to develop — and as the debate over the future of Gadsden Creek has taken shape on the other side of the peninsula at Brittlebank Park and the Ashley River — there's a growing appreciation for the natural feature that is Newmarket Creek.

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