Travelers and commuters are continuing to see construction this summer on U.S. Highway 17 at the southern tip of South Carolina as the state's Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is working on a $42 million expansion of the highway.
The agency told WTOC-TV in nearby Savannah, Ga., that it will be another year before drivers will be able to access several parts of the new road.
Road crews began working on the planned four-year project in February 2021 with the goal of widening a critical section of the highway to improve safety and traffic flow following increased economic growth in the area.
Jasper County officials also view the U.S. 17 improvement effort as a critical project for the Lowcountry as the highway is a primary corridor through the county and into the city of Savannah.
The work is happening from the intersection of S.C. 315 near Hardeeville to the Georgia border and the Back River Bridge over the Savannah River. Authorities with SCDOT said the two-lane road, known as Speedway Boulevard, has long been busy with commuters and heavy trucks.
Prior to last year's project start, SCDOT's announced that its plan was to widen the 4.2-mi. section of U.S. 17 from two lanes to four and add other improvements, including bike lanes, intersection upgrades, safety rumble strips at the road's edge and a grass median between the northbound and southbound roadways.
Traffic Light Placed at Rural Intersection
In addition, a pivotal part of the project was the installation of a new traffic signal at the intersection of U.S 17. and S.C. 315, which was carried out in mid-July.
Discussions about how to improve the rural intersection go all the way back to Jasper County public sessions in 2010.
WTOC-TV reported that, eventually, the intersection will have even more updates, including a three-phase signal, with southbound U.S. 17 set as a continuous green light, and an acceleration lane for traffic turning left from S.C. 315 onto U.S. 17.
Until that can be completed, local officials are thrilled to have the new lights in place for the first phase of the project.
"I know it has been a long time coming, but standing here watching [the signal], [it] seems to be operating well, [and] we ask again for everyone's patience," Jasper County Administrator Andrew Fulghum told the Savannah TV station. "The main complaints I got were stacking traffic on southbound S.C. 315 trying to go south on U.S. 17, [something] that seems to be alleviated with this initial [phase]."
With the lights up and working, Fulghum added that, so far, he has not heard any complaints about the new intersection.
In addition, the southbound lanes of U.S. 17 are almost complete, according to WTOC-TV, adding that in one year, motorists will be able to access them. The contractor will then begin work on the northbound roadway, leading to the completion of the entire project in 2025.
Crews Met with Wet, Marshy Conditions
In mid-July, the construction site was inundated with nearly 10 in. of rain. SCDOT explained, however, that there are other components of the project that crews can work on during rainy periods. For instance, the new traffic signals at U.S. 17 and S.C. 315 were equipped during the heavy weather.
With that kind of rain, it also is doubly important that the contractor's crews get the project's drainage system installed as soon as possible to give the rainwater a place to go to keep the roadways from flooding.
While heat-related thunderstorms have continued in the region since the spring, WTOC-TV reported that SCDOT contends that the U.S. 17 expansion is still on schedule.
Pete Poore, the transportation agency's communications director, asked the driving public in Jasper County to be tolerant of the roadway's construction due to it being a lengthy process to work with the marshy landscape.
"It is going to require 12 months for that soil to settle, so please be patient with us if you don't see any construction out there. Settlement is going on [that] doesn't require any human contact," he said in remarks to WTOC-TV.
Top Infrastructure Priority in S.C.'s Lowcountry
The project is funded by SCDOT through the Lowcountry Area Transportation Study (LATS) and the Lowcountry Council of Governments, which rate the U.S. 17 expansion as a top road infrastructure priority of the region.
Other groups involved in the Lowcountry's Metropolitan Planning Organization included the towns of Hilton Head, Bluffton and Port Royal, in addition to the city of Beaufort, the city of Hardeeville, and the Beaufort and Jasper county councils.
The planning area includes the land currently designated as urban by the most recent U.S. Census as well as land expected to be designated as urban within the next two decades.
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