Deadly Collision Leads to Wider Roads in Berkeley County, South Carolina (SC)
BERKELEY COUNTY, SC- Abcnews.com writes that Berkeley County is looking into expanding some of its roads from two to four lanes. Last week a fatal collision on US 17 sparked concerns that the road is too dangerous, and many people began to call for the state to increase the roadway to four lanes.*
Now the Berkeley County Council is looking at a plan that will accomplish the expansion of not only US 17 but also US 176. However, the South Carolina Department of Transportation will not be assisting in the efforts. A spokesperson for the County stated that the SCDOT is not agreeing to participate and that the funding for the road will have to come entirely from a one-cent sales tax.
The cost of the improvements is estimated at about $45 million. While the state instituted a gas tax in 2017 that was intended to cover the cost of road repairs and updates, only $2 million will go to Berkeley County. It appears that SCDOT will be expending the $2 million primarily to repave roads in Berkeley, and not to expand them. While locals stated that the roads in the rural county would require resurfacing and repairs to the many potholes, they also have a clear problem in terms of capacity.
Even without resources from SCDOT, the projects are slated to take begin in 2021. The city already paid to have local water mains relocated to accommodate the expanding roads.
This year has seen a drop in road fatalities in the state as a result of the coronavirus. Last year 927 people died in car crashes in the Palmetto State.
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Sources:
https://abcnews4.com/news/local/2-berkeley-county-roads-to-be-expanded-to-4-lanes-after-deadly-crash
https://www.wistv.com/2020/05/05/traffic-deaths-accidents-down-south-carolina-because-covid-pandemic/