South Carolina

[US 89]

It would work even better if SC hadn't forgotten that the CBP should connect to 17 when it was built.

Yeah, of all the transportation decisions I've ever seen by any agency, this one is one of the biggest head scratchers. Why wouldn't you connect it? SC 9 in particular is traffic light hell.

[Mapmikey]

It would work even better if SC hadn't forgotten that the CBP should connect to 17 when it was built.

Yeah, of all the transportation decisions I've ever seen by any agency, this one is one of the biggest head scratchers. Why wouldn't you connect it? SC 9 in particular is traffic light hell.

SC 9 has 2 lights between SC 31 and US 17.  But non-trucks should just use Hickman Rd between SC 9 and US 17 in NC.

The extension to North Carolina has always been the intention, per the 1996 EIS.   This requires cooperation from North Carolina.

The problem appeaers to be that NCDOT never considered the CBP as its own thing.  This 2006 feasibility study combined it with I-74 from Whiteville to SC.  Even today NCDOT lumps it in with a project to continue it to Shalotte.

Environmental documents are to be submitted later this year and SC ROW begins next year.  NC ROW and overall construction start are still TBD.

The CBP was also intended to extend southeast to US 17 from SC 707.  And it still can - though it does not appear to be on the SCDOT projects site.  They did study taking it over to US 701 to get to Georgetown.

[chrisdiaz]

I live off of Highway 57 south of SC 9. The need for 31 to be extended is real. The other side of 57 coming from North Carolina is backed up at all times of day, with backups that can extend more than a mile down the road, waiting to turn left onto SC 9 to get onto 31.

[US 89]

It would work even better if SC hadn’t forgotten that the CBP should connect to 17 when it was built.

Yeah, of all the transportation decisions I've ever seen by any agency, this one is one of the biggest head scratchers. Why wouldn't you connect it? SC 9 in particular is traffic light hell.

SC 9 has 2 lights between SC 31 and US 17.  But non-trucks should just use Hickman Rd between SC 9 and US 17 in NC.

Even with only two lights, the one time I was there, the backups at them were pretty severe. Maybe that was unusual.

[wdcrft63]

It would work even better if SC hadn't forgotten that the CBP should connect to 17 when it was built.

Yeah, of all the transportation decisions I've ever seen by any agency, this one is one of the biggest head scratchers. Why wouldn't you connect it? SC 9 in particular is traffic light hell.

SC 9 has 2 lights between SC 31 and US 17.  But non-trucks should just use Hickman Rd between SC 9 and US 17 in NC.

Even with only two lights, the one time I was there, the backups at them were pretty severe. Maybe that was unusual.

There are a half dozen more stoplights on 17 in Little River. The connection is even more awkward for northbound traffic since there's no ramp from EB SC 9 to NB 17, requiring a detour via SC 90. All in all, Breezewood on steroids.

I know to use Hickman Rd but it is unsigned as a through route. Of course if everyone tried to use it that would demonstrate how inadequate it is as the connection.

This problem is 21 years old and counting. I won't defend inaction by NCDOT but it has always been up to SCDOT to press for a timely solution.

[PColumbus73]

It would work even better if SC hadn't forgotten that the CBP should connect to 17 when it was built.

Yeah, of all the transportation decisions I've ever seen by any agency, this one is one of the biggest head scratchers. Why wouldn't you connect it? SC 9 in particular is traffic light hell.

SC 9 has 2 lights between SC 31 and US 17.  But non-trucks should just use Hickman Rd between SC 9 and US 17 in NC.

Even with only two lights, the one time I was there, the backups at them were pretty severe. Maybe that was unusual.

There are a half dozen more stoplights on 17 in Little River. The connection is even more awkward for northbound traffic since there's no ramp from EB SC 9 to NB 17, requiring a detour via SC 90. All in all, Breezewood on steroids.

I know to use Hickman Rd but it is unsigned as a through route. Of course if everyone tried to use it that would demonstrate how inadequate it is as the connection.

This problem is 21 years old and counting. I won't defend inaction by NCDOT but it has always been up to SCDOT to press for a timely solution.

It looks like the intersection of US 17 and Hickman Road is being converted to a superstreet (from seeing GSV), I wonder if that might deter some people from using Hwy 57 / Hickman Road.

I wouldn't call the interchange at US 17 & SC 9 'Breezewood on steroids', but it's definitely outdated, then again whenever SC 31 gets extended, that junction might not need to be upgraded.

[Mapmikey]

I live off of Highway 57 south of SC 9. The need for 31 to be extended is real. The other side of 57 coming from North Carolina is backed up at all times of day, with backups that can extend more than a mile down the road, waiting to turn left onto SC 9 to get onto 31.

Admittedly this probably works much better heading to North Carolina. The last time I was through there was from North Carolina in Nov 2021 and it took I believe 3 cycles to turn left on SC 9.

[sprjus4]

Even today NCDOT lumps it in with a project to continue it to Shalotte.

This makes sense, IMO... not for I-74 though. The entire US-17 corridor between Wilmington and Myrtle Beach fully warrants being either upgraded to freeway standards, or bypassed on new location.

Whether it be NC-31, US-17, or US-17 Bypass - it's needed.

Perfect opportunity to extend I-140 westward as well...

[US 89]

Even today NCDOT lumps it in with a project to continue it to Shalotte.

This makes sense, IMO... not for I-74 though. The entire US-17 corridor between Wilmington and Myrtle Beach fully warrants being either upgraded to freeway standards, or bypassed on new location.

Whether it be NC-31, US-17, or US-17 Bypass - it's needed.

Perfect opportunity to extend I-140 westward as well...

It should be upgraded all the way down to Charleston in my opinion. I don't think we'll ever see more than maybe a couple of spot interchange upgrades in the Myrtle Beach area, but the traffic through Pawleys Island and Georgetown can get quite dicey if you catch it at the wrong time.

[sprjus4]

^ I agree, at least down to Georgetown. In terms of traffic warrants, you could construct a freeway bypass around the west side of Georgetown, widen US-701 north of Georgetown to 4 lanes (or new location freeway to preserve limited access), and then construct a new connector over to SC-31 near Bucksville (will definitely present some environmental concerns crossing the wetlands though).

That would provide a free-flowing / freeway route from outside of Charleston (most of the highway between Charleston and Georgetown is desolate 4 lane divided highway) all the way to SC-9. That could be extended further north to Wilmington if NCDOT upgrades / relocates their portion of US-17.

[US 89]

I don’t think I fully realized until just now that there are no bridges across the Waccamaw between US 17 at Georgetown and US 501 at Conway. That right there is why 501 sucks so much.

There’s definitely no room for a freeway from Murrells Inlet south through Pawleys as there are way too many businesses with frontage directly onto 17 and nowhere to put a new terrain alignment, which is unfortunate. I like the idea of trying to divert as much through traffic as possible inland and off of 17 through northern Georgetown County, but yes the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge does throw a rather large wrench into things.

The thing about a Georgetown bypass is it probably needs to be useful to people coming from the east on US 17 in order to be worth it. I don’t see how that works unless you build a new bridge over the rivers somewhere north of its current location, which I’m not holding my breath on ever happening.

[PColumbus73]

SCDOT posted signs recently advertising a public meeting for improvements to the US 17 bridge over the Waccamaw River in Georgetown, meeting is scheduled for August 24 (or 25) in Georgetown. Hard to read those signs at 65 MPH, lol

Edit:

Unrelated to the Waccamaw bridge, but I hope SCDOT gets around to resurfacing South Fraser St (US 17) in Georgetown. Going south, the right lane is extremely rough, a lot of people stay in the left lane. Fraser south of Highmarket gets used by a lot of trucks, too.

[D-Dey65]

Again with Santee; I can't believe how much better some of the signage was a decade ago;
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.4632853,-80.4953438,3a,90y,241.25h,86.43t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s5cCgkxLHP2-uUKrDdVd2fA!2e0!5s20150801T000000!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en&entry=ttu
That's from the intersection of US 15, US 301, and Former US 15-301 in 2015, and with the exception of the northeast corner, the route signage is halfway decent.

[webny99]

I think it is going to be quite a while before SC 31 is extended northwards, and everyone knows that SC 707 is as far south as 31 will go.

My question is, why won't or can't it be extended south of SC 707? I am bothered by the non-connection to US 17 that seemingly defeats half the purpose and forces SC 707 to carry freeway traffic volumes.

I don't think I fully realized until just now that there are no bridges across the Waccamaw between US 17 at Georgetown and US 501 at Conway. That right there is why 501 sucks so much.

The distance with no crossings is definitely notable, but the bigger problem is still the fact that there's only two crossings in Conway and neither of them are built for freeway traffic volumes. An east bypass of Conway that provides a freeway connection to SC 31 is what's really needed, that would go way further in solving the traffic issues than SC 22 ever will.

[PColumbus73]

Just attended the SCDOT public information meeting for repairs to the US 17 bridge over the Waccamaw River. From what I heard from the DOT representatives there, it appears they are going to replace the piers over the Waccamaw River channel because of excess scouring. This would NOT be a bridge replacement.

Their plan is to build these new piers alongside the existing ones, and then demo out the old piers. The road would be down to two lanes during the project.

Personally, I've never seen a bridge repair like this before.

Edit: https://us-17-waccamaw-river-scdot.hub.arcgis.com/

[wriddle082]

This weekend and next weekend, I-77 south in Rock Hill will be down to two lanes for bridge rehab over Celanese Rd (SC 161).

http://info2.scdot.org/SCDOTPress/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=3468

[epzik8]

It looks like signage on US 17 north prior to the bridge to Little River finally acknowledges SC 9's overlap with it along the bridge.

[74/171FAN]

A Facebook friend of mine visited the Bucee's in Florence, and I noticed a new cantilever structure being put up on the I-95 SB ramp to SC 327, but I was unable to see what the new signage there stated.

[VTGoose]

Came from Columbia on I-26 and on down I-95 on Monday. There was work along I-26 to clear trees along both sides of the highway, giving hope to a start on extending the three-lane section further south. Unfortunately, the work was being done almost all the way to I-95 and along part of I-95. It appears it has nothing to do with widening, it is SCDOT's scorched-earth policy to rid the interstates of any vegetation between the right of way fences.

[wriddle082]

Came from Columbia on I-26 and on down I-95 on Monday. There was work along I-26 to clear trees along both sides of the highway, giving hope to a start on extending the three-lane section further south. Unfortunately, the work was being done almost all the way to I-95 and along part of I-95. It appears it has nothing to do with widening, it is SCDOT's scorched-earth policy to rid the interstates of any vegetation between the right of way fences.

They're supposed to start widening 26 b/w mm 125 (Old Sandy Run Rd) and mm 136 (SC 6) in "late 2023", though I can't find where this has been advertised for letting.  And they're supposed to start widening b/w mm 136 and mm 145 (US 601) in Summer 2024, with work lasting 30 months.

The vegetation removal is also happening along I-77.  Though there aren't many trees in the median, they are cutting back everything along the sides up to thd ROW fences.  The reason they're going crazy with the tree removal, I believe, is because a few years ago a single mother and her kids were killed when their car went into the median of 95 near Santee and hit a tree.

[ran4sh]

A Facebook friend of mine visited the Bucee's in Florence, and I noticed a new cantilever structure being put up on the I-95 SB ramp to SC 327, but I was unable to see what the new signage there stated.

When I was there in August (the month after that GSV) apparently that sign structure has been completed. It simply indicates the lane assignments for the lanes on the off-ramp. Left lane: "North Williston Road - SOUTH / To S.C.327 [in text, not a shield]" Center lane: "North Williston Road - NORTH / To E. Pocket Rd" Right lane: "Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation Boulevard" with a black on yellow "ONLY" arrow . (The right lane is separated and leads directly toward the Bucee's driveway. The left and center lanes turn left and right respectively, at the end of the off-ramp)

[PColumbus73]

A Facebook friend of mine visited the Bucee's in Florence, and I noticed a new cantilever structure being put up on the I-95 SB ramp to SC 327, but I was unable to see what the new signage there stated.

When I was there in August (the month after that GSV) apparently that sign structure has been completed. It simply indicates the lane assignments for the lanes on the off-ramp. Left lane: "North Williston Road - SOUTH / To S.C.327 [in text, not a shield]" Center lane: "North Williston Road - NORTH / To E. Pocket Rd" Right lane: "Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation Boulevard" with a black on yellow "ONLY" arrow . (The right lane is separated and leads directly toward the Bucee's driveway. The left and center lanes turn left and right respectively, at the end of the off-ramp)

It irritates me somewhat that a more concise street name wasn't used, "Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation Blvd" is a lot of text to put on a sign.

[ccurley100]

Is there any reason why I-85 is still only 60 or 65mph between Greenville and the Georgia state line other than a revenue generator from speeding tickets?

[sprjus4]

Is there any reason why I-85 is still only 60 or 65mph between Greenville and the Georgia state line other than a revenue generator from speeding tickets?

The 65 mph isn't as irritating, IMO, compared to the long and tedious 60 mph segment between Greenville and Spartanburg.

But I do agree that the entire corridor in South Carolina should be posted at 70 mph.

[US 89]

How harshly are those limits enforced? Every time I've been on those sections of 85 (which is to say maybe 3-4), general traffic speed has been something in the neighborhood of 70-75 with no sign of any sort of police enforcement.

Georgia's 70 mph speed limit may be higher, but some of those smaller towns between Atlanta and the SC line will jump at the chance to make a buck off an unsuspecting traveler. Braselton in particular has an aggressive speed trap I've seen in action multiple times.