Beaufort County to spray Bluffton roads pink. Will your commute be affected?
Several roads in Bluffton will be closed off this week as Beaufort County finishes their Pavement Rejuvenation Program.
Road crews are expected to arrive on site between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The work targets roads that are in good condition to extend the time before more extraneous road work is needed.
“Even though we’re spending money on roads that we just resurfaced here recently, over the lifespan of that road this significantly improves how long that road should last,” said Jared Fralix, Assistant County Administrator for Infrastructure. “ So we don’t have to make that major improvement as soon as we would have.”
Project manager Bryan Bauer equated it to taking vitamins or getting an oil change.
The work involves spraying a pink solution to cover the roads. The solution penetrates the roads about three-eights of inch and rejuvenates the asphalt making it softer and more flexible.
After 20 minutes the roads are drive-able, Fralix said, but a little sticky. So, workers will put a thin sheet of sand on the road to avoid the solution getting onto cars. The sand is swept off the road the following day, Fralix said.
Bluffton is the county’s last stop for the $319,480 project, that aims to rejuvenate 46 roads across the county.
The road schedule is as follows:
On Thursday, the main thoroughfares of the Bluffton Park neighborhood will be worked on.
Pin Oak Street between 9th ave and Able St.
Ninth Ave. between Goethe Road and Red Cedar St.
On Friday the work heads North towards Fording Island road. The following roads will be worked.
Red Cedar St
Sheridan Park Circle
Sheridan Drive from Sheridan Park Circle to its end by the Palmetto Animal League Thrift Store
Those living or driving near these areas should be prepared for lane closures and delays. The county encourages the use of extra caution when approaching the work zones.
Rain will delay the work, so it’s very likely that work will be pushed into the weekend or to early next week based on the Thursday and Friday’s conditions, said Bauer.
Work was completed in the Lake Linden neighborhood Wednesday. Three roads were repaired, Lake Linden Drive, Lake Linden Court and Lake Linden Place.
The following roads will also be rejuvenated in the coming weeks.
Goethe Road
Evan Way
Buckingham Plantation Drive
Lake Point Drive
Plantation Park Drive
Rivers Hill Road
Sawmill Forest Drive
Palmetto Business Park
Rooksbridge Drive
This story was originally published May 18, 2023 at 2:12 PM.
