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Want to reduce your driving time on U.S. 278? Transportation officials say they know how

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Sick of the traffic on U.S. 278?

So is Beaufort County traffic engineer Colin Kinton, who's working on a plan that could reduce the time drivers spend on the highway.

Hitting five or six green lights in a row can shave minutes off a trip down U.S. 278, and that's exactly what Kinton's shooting for.

In the morning, traffic lights are set to move people onto Hilton Head Island. In the afternoon, the timing is switched as people come off the island. There also are settings for midday and night.

Under a new system, the timing of traffic lights would be determined by the number of cars on the road, not the time of day.

Sensors already set into the pavement along U.S. 278 show how heavy traffic is and can automatically trigger more precise light-timing settings. More sensors might have to be added for the system Kinton envisions.

"You've got commuter traffic, vacation traffic, everyday traffic and shopping traffic," Kinton said. In other words, it's more complicated than just flipping a switch at 6:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. to coincide with the morning and afternoon rush hours.

An average of 60,000 vehicles travel the highway daily.

Kinton said he also wants special settings to improve traffic flow during hurricane evacuations and big shopping days like "Black Friday," the day after Thanksgiving.

In addition to reducing the time drivers spend on U.S. 278 by 10 to 15 percent, the change could lead to 7 percent to 12 percent fewer stops and starts, and a 5 percent to 14 percent reduction in fuel consumption, he said. He added that the plan also would reduce vehicle emissions in southern Beaufort County.

"Reduction in delays, stops, travel times and fuel consumption can provide direct savings to the public and the county in dollars, especially considering the recent spike in fuel prices," he said.

Business leaders are excited about the planned upgrade, which Kinton said would be put in place in the next four to seven months.

"The first impression our tourists and guests are left with is the ease in which they move through 278 to their destination," said Ann-Marie Adams-Arrington, executive director of the Hilton Head Area Hospitality Association.

For daily commuters on U.S. 278 to Hilton Head, she said, it could mean spending more time with their children in the morning and after work.

"Anything that can speed up that flow of traffic is positive," said Charlie Clark, spokeswoman for the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce.

Kinton estimated it would cost $100,000 to $200,000 to make the change, but said it would be worth the money, which comes from the federal government.

He said the time savings from the new system would be a boon to everyone who uses the highway, from commuters, to tourists, to area businesses.

"Our goal is for this to be state-of-the-art for South Carolina," Kinton said. And, "time is money."

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