Celebrating the Completion of Charleston’s Low Battery Seawall

On February 18, JMT joined the mayor of the City of Charleston, SC, along with residents and community partners, for a true milestone moment- the ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of the historic Low Battery Seawall. This long-anticipated project, more than 11 years in the making, is now officially open and serving the city.

JMT is proud to have partnered with the City of Charleston on this landmark effort to strengthen the city’s frontline defense against sea level rise, stormwater, and flooding. The completed seawall not only enhances coastal resilience but also improves accessibility and safety for residents and visitors alike.

Congratulations to the City staff and our dedicated JMT team members Andrew Carrier, PE, CPESC, Jim O’Connor, PE, CEng MIEI, Laura Boisclair Criscio, EIT, Christopher Mack, PE, PMP, BC.CE, Ryan Mattie, PE, Chip Paulus, PE, and Shelby L. Smith whose collaboration and commitment made this historic achievement possible.

Jim initiated JMT’s involvement while serving in a construction manager role to the City on an initial 120 ft section of the wall it needed to replace. During this time, he was able to review the design, observe the construction, and develop an alternative “more surgical and economical” approach that led him to being the design manager for the mile-long reconstruction JMT designed and performed construction management for over the past five years.

Ryan Mattie began his role as the lead civil engineer for the project and quickly transitioned into the project manager role. With a large part of the project being a re-imagination of the boulevard, drainage system improvements, and creating accessibility, Ryan’s skill sets were well-suited to oversee that work and step into lead successive phases as Jim transitioned to other responsibilities.

As JMT’s Director of Resilience and Coastal Solutions, Chris Mack focused on the resilience of Charleston’s Low Battery Seawall, highlighting integrated flood protection, adaptive coastal design strategies, sustainable materials, and how resilient engineering protects historic waterfronts while preparing communities for future sea level rise and coastal flooding.

Andrew Carrier and Shelby L. Smith assisted Ryan with civil, stormwater, and modeling efforts. Andrew led the hydraulic and stormwater quality design, tackling the challenges of designing stormwater systems in a tidal environment as the project progressed. His analyses shaped flood mitigation and treatment strategies while guiding the Low Battery through local regulatory and MS4 compliance.

Before stepping into the role of CIM Manager, Shelby was the lead site designer for the project from the end of phase two through the beginning of phase four. She coordinated modeling and design standards for our deliverables. At the beginning of phase four, Chip Paulus took on the responsibility of civil site design. Chip worked to grade the surface of the corridor to direct stormwater to inlet locations that were coordinated with the drainage team to ensure positive drainage. He designed the Whitepoint Gardens sidewalk to tie into the park and remain ADA-compliant as the roadway grade changed.

And finally, Laura Criscio was the five-year construction manager for JMT and instrumental in the successful delivery of the project during construction. She was not only a source of compliance inspection and on-site management but was JMT’s goodwill ambassador to the City, contractor staff, residents whose homes abutted the job, and the general public traveling through and around the site.

Learn more about the historic project here!