A local cable, telephone and computer provider on Tuesday blamed recent service outages near U.S. 278 on construction workers who aren't careful about where they dig.
Hargray Communications spokesman Andrew Rein said its fiber cables have been cut about five times in the past week.
"In most instances, including the most recent one (on Tuesday morning), the contracting firms did not seek prior location services to identify where underground cables might have been located," a Hargray news release said.
The construction project, which will widen the highway, was contracted to APAC-Southeast Inc. by the S.C. Department of Transportation.
Attempts to reach both the construction project's management and S.C. DOT project manager Brent Rewis were unsuccessful.
Rein said about 100 customers are typically affected when a fiber cable is cut. Replacement costs are decided on a case-by-case basis and can cost several thousand dollars, he said.
"It's unfair to our customers and it's unfair to us," he said.
The news release urged local contractors to call the SC811, the state's hotline for utility locations. The group's website said public and private sector businesses, as well as residents, should call three days in advance so it can "record the location of the digging site and notify member companies of your intent to dig."
Those intending to dig can also get the free utility location service by calling 1-888-721-7877 or by going to SC811.org.
Follow reporter Anne Christnovich on Twitter at twitter.com/EyeOnBeaufortCo
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