Road projects in South Carolina are taking center stage. The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) and the Augusta Regional Transportation Study (ARTS) are soliciting public comments on specific projects and transportation needs overall.
Companies wishing to move into a new area, or expand existing operations, cite access to quality transportation as a deciding factor. That includes a well-developed and maintained highway system.
Will Williams, president and CEO of Western SC, told ABD that each year projects in the Palmetto State exceed the available funding. For that reason, the department turns to the public and local governments to learn where the priorities need to be and better direct that funding.
“Our region’s grown both residentially and industrially, and so that is putting more traffic into our areas that we focus industry on. So, we need to make sure those corridors are able to move traffic quickly and efficiently and safely,” he said. “But we also have to be able to move people efficiently and safely to and from where they need to go, and unfortunately, infrastructure development lags growth.”
Aiken County, particularly in the cities of Aiken and North Augusta, is seeing that boom in residential construction. Williams said that it is a factor in road construction and improvement priorities.
“Obviously, having higher traffic counts is good for retail, but it causes consternation amongst those who are utilizing that,” he explained. “There are more people they’re interacting with on the roadways, so it’s a Catch-22. It’s important to have that additional traffic, but it’s the catching up and making sure that the infrastructure is there to deal with it.”
Two of the projects on the SCDOT drawing board are intersection improvements on notoriously heavily traveled routes. One is at S-144 (Bettis Academy Road) at S-780 (Whaley Pond Road); the other is SC 19 (Whiskey Road) at S-440 (Powderhouse Road).
The proposed improvements include the following:
- A Realignment of the Bettis Academy Road (S-144) and Whaley Pond Road (S-780) Intersection to 90 degrees.
- An additional NB right-turn lane (Whiskey); dual WB left-turn lane (Powderhouse); Restripe WB to shared thru/right-turn (Powderhouse); extend NB and SB left-turn lanes (Whiskey); remove split-phase operation at the Intersection of Whiskey Road (SC-19) and Powderhouse Road (S-440).
The department works with transportation planners at the local level, but Williams said input from citizens is a vital component.
“Because you are the ones that are most impacted every day,” he said. “The average citizen wants to be able to leave their home, get where they’re going safely, quickly, and return. They aren’t involved in the higher-level conversations that go on over years and years and years of infrastructure planning.”
More information is available at www.projectportal.scdot.org/ARTSIntersections.
The website includes a form to submit written comments. Comments can also be submitted via email to BENNETTJA@scdot.gov, or by mail to Alex Bennett, SCDOT, P.O. Box 191, Columbia, SC 29202-0191.
The comment period is open through August 20th.
ARTS, a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) covering Augusta-Richmond County and Aiken County, is also requesting public comments on the South Carolina Draft FY 2027-2036 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).
The draft TIP is available online for review until August 29th at www.aikencountysc.gov/365/Transportation-Planning.
Public comments are being accepted through August 28th by email at tplanning@aikencountysc.gov, or by mail to:
- Aiken County Planning & Development Department
- 1930 University Parkway, Suite 2800
- Aiken, SC 29801
