Drive to Savannah on US 17? You need to read this

Jawan Boatwright was struck by a car and killed last year while walking along a stretch of U.S. 17 between the S.C. 315 intersection to the Georgia line.

His sister, Lisa Boatwright Davis, doesn’t want history to repeat itself.

“I don’t need anyone else to be killed on this highway,” she said Thursday.

Boatwright Davis was one of about 100 on hand at Hardeeville Elementary School for a public forum hosted by the South Carolina Department of Transportation about plans to make the stretch of road where her brother died safer and reduce traffic congestion.

Among the improvements planned is the widening of U.S. 17 from two lanes to four.

The S.C. 315 intersection also will be redesigned with a new traffic light to keep traffic flowing smoothly, SCDOT program manager Craig Winn said Thursday.

The estimated $54 million project is expected to break ground in 2018 and finish by 2020 or 2021, he said.

Plans call for the existing two lanes of U.S. 17 to remain open during the initial phase of construction. Once the new lanes are complete, traffic will be shifted to those while the original lanes — which are pocked with potholes — are repaired.

In addition to reducing accidents, SCDOT officials say they hope the project makes the commute to and from Savannah less of a headache for drivers.

“I drive to Savannah every day for work,” Bluffton resident Sarah Thomas said. “I really hope that once (U.S. 17 is widened to) four lanes, it will cut down on traffic.”

An average of nearly 18,000 vehicles travel U.S. 17 between S.C. 315 and the Talmadge Memorial Bridge every day. By 2040, that figure is expected surpass 23,000 vehicles, according to SCDOT data.

The road improvements will dovetail with the construction of the nearby Jasper Ocean Terminal.

The $4.5 billion port — expected to be up and running by 2025 — will sit on 1,500 acres just east of U.S. 17, near the mouth of the Savannah River.

Due to the massive scope of the port project, Winn said SCDOT wants to improve the traffic capacity of the roadways to accommodate the anticipated increase in the volume of cars and trucks passing through the area.

State Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort, said Thursday that there is a recognition in Columbia among state lawmakers about “just how import this stretch of roadway is — not only economic purposes but also recreational purposes.”

In addition to new lanes for motorists, plans for the improved roadway include 6-foot-wide bike lanes on either side of U.S. 17.

Karen Heitman, a Sun City bicyclist, said Thursday that she’s in favor of lanes, but would prefer a wider path — similar to the Spanish Moss Trail — for bikers and pedestrians.

“Families will not take their ... children out on a 6-foot bike lane with cars and trucks whizzing by,” she said.

Winn said public forums such as the one Thursday are a critical component in SCDOT’s project planning process.

“We will review all the comments and provide a response, whether (a suggestion) is something we can incorporate or whether it’s something we can’t,” he said.

If you couldn’t attend Thursday’s meeting, you can email comments to Winn at winncl@scdot.org. The deadline to submit comments is March 10.

This story was originally published February 23, 2017 at 12:40 PM with the headline "Drive to Savannah on US 17? You need to read this."