Have questions about SC 170 changes? Here’s how to ask the government
With crowded traffic and thousands of crashes in recent years, the S.C. 170 corridor connecting Bluffton and Beaufort could see improvements in the years to come.
But first, transportation officials want input from the public.
The area in question is the nearly 24-mile stretch between May River Road in Bluffton and Boundary Street in Beaufort. Daily traffic volume is expected to nearly double between 2026 and 2050 along the majority of the corridor, according to a study from the Lowcountry Council of Governments that kicked off this time last year. The study cost $400,000; a final report is expected this summer.
Between 2020 and 2024, more than 3,000 total car crashes occurred along the corridor. About one-quarter of those crashes resulted in injury or death, according to the study.
Right now, the Beaufort County Engineering team is engaging with the public to answer questions about the proposed improvements. Suggested improvements include lane reconfigurations at many of the corridor’s high-traffic intersections and additional multi-use pathways.
The meetings will be held at the following locations:
- Wednesday, March 11 at 6 p.m: Palmetto Electric, 1 Cooperative Way, Hardeeville.
- Thursday, March 12 at 6 p.m.: Robert Smalls Leadership Academy, 43 W. K. Alston Drive, Beaufort.
The community can also use an interactive web map until April 17 to make comments about the proposed improvements.
