Jasper County got more than $1M to improve a busy stretch of US 278. Here’s the plan
A stretch of U.S. 278 in the Ridgeland area is set to get a complete makeover after Jasper County was awarded a $1.1 million grant earlier this week.
The grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce and $750,000 of local funds will be used for road and stormwater infrastructure improvements on the heavily traveled highway to make travel safer and more efficient, Jasper County administrator Andrew Fulghum said. The local funds come from the county’s transportation sales tax.
“This is something we’ve been waiting a long time for,” Fulghum said. “We submitted the application in April 2019, so it’s been a long process, but it’s paid off.”
The series of improvements, including widening the road and adding turn lanes, is planned for a bustling part of town that’s seen a great deal of growth in a small amount of time. The area is a part of Grays Highway that’s less than two miles from Exit 21 on I-95 through the intersection of Log Hall Road and Malphrus Road.
Multiple schools, including Ridgeland-Hardeeville High School, Thomas Heyward Academy, and Polaris Tech Charter School, sit along the stretch of road in addition to the continuously expanding Ridgeland Airport and the Jasper County Emergency Services building and fire station.
Drainage along the road will also be improved when large ditches get piped and covered.
“We’re going to try to get started as soon as we can,” Fulghum said. The next steps will include talking with a consultant and revisiting the county’s budget.
In addition to Jasper County government, the Lowcountry Council of Governments — which is funded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration — helped with regional planning efforts, according to a U.S. Department of Commerce news release.
“The improvements made to the U.S. Highway 278 corridor will make Jasper County more economically resilient by attracting new industry to the region,” U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said in the release.
