SCDOT nears finish line for widening of US 17. How the new intersection will work
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- The 4.1-mile U.S. 17 widening in Jasper County will open soon to four lanes.
- The S.C. 315 and U.S. 17 junction will be a continuous-green, signalized T-intersection.
- The project cost nearly $11 million per mile and was funded via a local partnership.
As the removal of silt fencing begins, and after nearly six years of construction, the 4.1-mile stretch of U.S. 17 - also known as Speedway Boulevard in Jasper County - is expected to open soon with four lanes and a new signalized intersection.
At nearly $11 million per mile, it was one of the largest funded projects in a partnership between S.C. Department of Transportaion (SCDOT), the Council of Government, and the Metropolitan Planning Organization, according to Craig Winn, the SCDOT Program Manager for the Lowcountry, when asked about the cost per mile.
And while the completion date has been extended twice, first to be completed in 2025 and then in January, Winn said those delays doesn’t appear to equate to any cost overruns for the project.
Setbacks included weather delays and sandy soil, which made it difficult to build the additional two lanes of road. Neither, though, will ding the contractor.
S.C. 315 (Okatie Highway) at U.S. 17 (Speedway Boulevard) — was originally controlled by a single stop sign — which was extremely deadly and inspired locals to seek a remedy for the intersection with an online petition.
High traffic counts, the economic growth of Georgia Ports and Jasper County’s explosive growth in both residential and industrial growth spurred the need for intersection improvements.
“The traffic volumes on U.S. 17 necessitated the need for this improvement.” Winn said.
A continuous green intersection
When asked to describe the interchange, Winn called it a “continuous green” signalized T-intersection.
It’s not continuous for all.
Controlled by pavement loops embedded in the roadway, S.C. 315 traffic will wait to turn left until U.S. 17 northbound traffic is stopped. On the green light, drivers will turn onto the new inside lane of U.S. 17 as southbound drivers on U.S. 17 continue through the intersection with a green signal, remaining in their lane.
Drivers shouldn’t have to worry about the intersection turning into a carnival game of bumper cars, Winn said curbing will keep drivers in their lanes.
Confident that “substantial completion” would be at the end of July, Winn snuck in the caveat: “It’s always weather dependant.”