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South Carolina

Started by wriddle082, January 30, 2011, 07:53:11 PM

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wriddle082

I feel like it could all finally be wrapped up later this year.

It's also nice that the Business 85 construction to rebuild the bridge over Norfolk Southern and Hearon Circle is finally complete.  That had the road completely shut down for about two years, but it reopened a couple of weeks ago.

Next for that area will eventually be a widening of I-26 from (I believe) US 176 Asheville Hwy down to at least SC 296 Reidville Rd.


cowboy_wilhelm

The I-85 project website claims by the end of 2024.

SCDOT has lots of live streaming traffic cameras where you can see current conditions. This link should zoom to I-85 around Spartanburg and Cherokee counties.

https://www.511sc.org/#zoom=10.340673765841723&lon=-81.91274709486737&lat=35.112141518689455&dmsg&rest&cams&other&cong&wthr&acon&incd&trfc

For the future I-26 widening in Spartanburg County, the future projects map shows construction in 2027, but who knows if it will happen then. I think it was previously scheduled for around 2023-2024.

Since I-26 in Spartanburg County came up, does anyone know why the Lake Bowen bridges were replaced in 1982, barely 20 years after construction?

PColumbus73

Overshadowed by the Key Bridge collapse, but SCDOT announced that the Don Holt Bridge will be replaced when they widen I-526. The new bridge will be taller than the existing bridge, I would assume similar in height to the Ravenel.

https://abcnews4.com/news/local/south-carolinas-dot-announces-replacement-don-holt-bridge-interstate-526-cargo-shipments-news-abc-news-4-wciv-maryland-baltimore-2024

The Ghostbuster

They might start constructing the Interstate 526-to-SC 30 connection next year: https://www.scdotmarkclark.com/the-latest; https://www.live5news.com/2023/12/05/sc-committee-approves-75-million-toward-i-526-extension-includes-stipulation/. Although the new roadway will have interchanges connecting with River Rd. in two locations, it will have an at-grade intersection with Riverland Dr. In addition, the roadway itself will be a four-lane parkway that will not meet Interstate Standards. Therefore, the new roadway, if constructed, will have to be an extension of SC 30 instead of an extension of Interstate 526.

PColumbus73

Quote from: The Ghostbuster on March 28, 2024, 10:00:50 PMThey might start constructing the Interstate 526-to-SC 30 connection next year: https://www.scdotmarkclark.com/the-latest; https://www.live5news.com/2023/12/05/sc-committee-approves-75-million-toward-i-526-extension-includes-stipulation/. Although the new roadway will have interchanges connecting with River Rd. in two locations, it will have an at-grade intersection with Riverland Dr. In addition, the roadway itself will be a four-lane parkway that will not meet Interstate Standards. Therefore, the new roadway, if constructed, will have to be an extension of SC 30 instead of an extension of Interstate 526.

It seems like Charleston County has been waffling on their portion of the funding for some time now.

PColumbus73

#705
https://www.live5news.com/2024/06/05/first-alert-ravenel-bridge-closed-all-directions-over-disabled-vessel/

Ravenel Bridge was briefly closed due to a ship losing power. the bridge reopened without incident.

https://www.live5news.com/2024/06/05/container-ship-stuck-full-throttle-prompted-temporary-ravenel-bridge-closure/

EDIT: The ship was stuck at full throttle leaving port in North Charleston. Another boat was pushed into rocks because of the wake.

The Ghostbuster

Well, at least there was no damage, nor did the bridge collapse. Having another bridge collapse would have been really tragic.

rickmastfan67

#707
Interesting video showing SC 'practicing' lane reversal on an Interstate before Hurricane season.

https://x.com/TrooperBob_SC/status/1798312947506401674


(For reference, this is in Columbia on I-26 @ Exit 119.)

ARMOURERERIC

Press release from SCDot that I-85 NB is open to 3 lanes from mm80-90

roadman65

Is SC going through finally with replacing the I-95 Lake Marion Bridge? The reason I ask is I've seen discussion on one of the social media outlets acting as if the state is going full steam ahead.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

sprjus4

Quote from: roadman65 on July 18, 2024, 07:09:54 PMIs SC going through finally with replacing the I-95 Lake Marion Bridge? The reason I ask is I've seen discussion on one of the social media outlets acting as if the state is going full steam ahead.
From the I-95 in SC thread:

Quote from: wriddle082 on July 17, 2024, 02:58:31 PMReviving this older thread for good reason...

SCDOT just received a $175 million federal grant to replace the I-95 bridges over Lake Marion with a single six-lane span with full shoulders and a sectioned-off walking/biking path.  Work to start next summer.

https://www.wltx.com/article/news/local/175-million-dollars-awarded-to-scdot-to-replace-i95-bridges-over-lake-marion-transportation-interstate-southcarolina/101-67241c19-3531-4db4-914d-b5981be1123f?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2xn7b9bRiE3mDTFwP0wELAU-sHSC1-mT9gKo54prjaju_gYNBHSicLg0U_aem_MQjfFt9tT47LBT7cH6GceQ


D-Dey65

I'm now convinced that the Interstate 73 interchange on Interstate 95 will be Exits 184 A-B. I'm still guessing what the exit numbers for I-73 will be over there.


The Ghostbuster

If Interstate 73 is constructed in South Carolina. That is far from a sure thing.

PColumbus73

The plan has always been for it to meet I-95 using, or being near to, SC 38. 184 is probably accurate plus/minus a couple miles.

State funding wasn't included in the budget this year for I-73, so we're still a long way off from actually building anything.

D-Dey65

I was just going by what I saw on a map of the proposed I-73, and a Google Maps measurement of the distance between Exit 181, and the projected site of the new interchange.

In the meantime, BEHOLD! The new northbound sign for Interstate 95 near Exit 102.
https://imgur.com/a/new-northbound-interstate-95-sign-exit-102-south-carolina-Kf47HwA
Now MUTCD-compliant with US Highway shields for US 15 and 301!


PColumbus73

The half-cent sales tax that would have helped fund the Mark Clark extension in Charleston failed to pass, see here

However, the RIDE 4 sales tax in Horry County passed, which would include the southern extension of SC 22 and local match funds for I-73 (does not fund construction of I-73) Here

The Ghostbuster

Will any of that money go towards extending the SC 31 Carolina Bays Parkway northward into North Carolina?

PColumbus73

Quote from: The Ghostbuster on November 06, 2024, 03:30:15 PMWill any of that money go towards extending the SC 31 Carolina Bays Parkway northward into North Carolina?

Actually, the SC 31 extension funding was approved under the previous RIDE 3. They're working on the routing of it currently. There's some coordination with NCDOT that has to happen too, but the funding from South Carolina is there.

RoadPelican

From what I have read, SC is chomping at the bit to start building their part of the Carolinas Bay Parkway but NC is very hesitant.

Also, it's weird but true that a County that Kamala Harris won by 6 points would also reject a sales tax increase. Yet in Horry County, which Trump won by 38 points, a sales tax increase easily passes with 57% of the vote.

Charleston is one of the those small cities with big city traffic problems.

wriddle082

Presidential preference and local needs are mutually exclusive of one another.  And the demographics of the Charleston and Myrtle Beach areas are very different.

Charlestonians are more urban minded and would support Harris, and are typically ok with the traffic delays because it's the tourists that cause them.  If they would all go home, traffic with only locals and trucks going to/ from the port terminals would likely flow well on the existing road system.

The Myrtle Beach area, however, is growing much more rapidly, as it has more developable land than the Charleston area.  That growth is more suburban sprawl in nature, which is more attractive to conservative voters.  And how they approved the sales tax increase was that the proposers put forth a solid plan for the additional funds that appealed to the voters' desire to not be stuck in traffic all of the time.  They also realize that SCDOT is essentially useless and won't voluntarily help them with immediate problems without additional funding.

My county of residence (Lexington) has been trying for years to pass a "penny tax" to fix the roads, but has continually failed either because of a lack of a solid plan or marketing strategy or both.  But in neighboring Richland County, where Columbia is, the voters have just renewed their "penny tax" that was set to expire because they have seen tangible results in smoother and safer roads.  Meanwhile, my wife and I drive on mostly deplorable pavement on state-maintained secondary roads just to get home.  It's so bad on one road that many drivers go below the speed limit.

PColumbus73

I-526 / Mark Clark Expwy is about 90% built out. The missing segment through Johns & James Island is probably the most difficult section to build due to the wetlands and two crossings over the Stono River. Assuming they had the money to build, it would probably be tied up in litigation from environmental groups. And from what I read, there's regular in-fighting about how to appropriate the sales tax money in the Charleston area.

For Horry County, you could call Carolina Bays Pkwy / SC 31 its crown jewel. All we really have to do is point to SC 31 for what the RIDE sales tax has done for the community. Another thing Horry County has done well is spread the RIDE sales tax across the county, rather than sending all that money to the coast. The Aynor Overpass is an example of this, and there are complaints that the overpass was a pork/political project, but again, the RIDE sales tax probably would not have gotten renewed 4 times if half the county didn't see anything from it.



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