Evacuation route traffic slows to crawl on US 278, SC 170 as Matthew approaches

Traffic along a major evacuation route in southern Beaufort County was at a near standstill early Wednesday afternoon, just hours before the 3 p.m. Hurricane Matthew evacuation deadline.

Congestion was heavy around 1 p.m. on the westbound lanes of U.S. 278 starting near Sun City Boulevard as drivers from the Bluffton and Hilton Head Island areas slowly made their way toward Interstate 95.

Near Lakeside Boulevard, about 2 miles from the I-95 exit, traffic has slowed to a crawl.

There was also a snarl on S.C. 170 in the Okatie area.

A long line of cars heading north clogged the roadway as they waited to turn left onto Lowcountry Drive, which leads to an I-95 interchange in the Yemassee area.

Just after 1 p.m., the Waze navigation application, which allows users to view and input real-time traffic information, showed an average speed of under 10 mph on S.C. 170 between Lowcountry Drive and Argent Boulevard.

Traffic is only likely to get worse.

S.C. Highway Patrol Lance Corporal Gary Miller said he anticipates that “traffic is definitely going starting to picking up as the day goes on.”

Traffic cameras show no major backups or accidents along main arteries north of the Broad River such as U.S. 21 in Beaufort.

Miller urged drivers “not to wait to the last minute” before hitting the roads and evacuating.

“The earlier they get out ahead of the traffic, the smoother things will go,” he said.

Wendell Mulligan of the local S.C. Department of Transportation office agreed, encouraging drivers to follow signs to designated evacuation routes sooner rather than later.

There will be some lane reversals along evacuation routes, but roadways — including rural streets and roads not along the evacuation routes — will remain open, he said.

“There won’t be any roadblocks,” he said.

A news release from AAA Carolinas stressed the importance of starting an evacuation trip during “during daylight hours.”

The group recommends that drivers pack an emergency kit, make sure they have enough gas, and check their tires and windshield wipers before hitting the road, the release said.

This story will be updated.

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This story was originally published October 5, 2016 at 8:47 AM with the headline "Evacuation route traffic slows to crawl on US 278, SC 170 as Matthew approaches."