Two major road projects in the fast-growing Boiling Springs area are among several planned this year in Spartanburg County designed to improve safety and traffic flow.
One $3.9 million project years in the making is at anintersection wherea deadly crash in 2015 killed four University of South Carolina Upstate student athletes.
The crash happened late at night on 4th Street near Highway 9. The car was traveling east when it veered of the road, hit a tree and caught fire.
The state Department of Transportation plans to widen S.C. Highway 9 from Interstate 85 to Shoally Creek Road/4th Street, adding a third travel lane in each direction and lengthening the turn lanes at the intersections of Candlenut Lane and Highway 9 at 4th Street/Shoally Creek Road.
Also, 4th Street will be reconfigured to minimize the existing sharp curve in the roadway. And a traffic signal at Highway 9 and Candlenut Lane will be installed. Construction is expected to start this fall.
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Improvements will also include lengthening the turn lanes at the intersections of Highway 9 at Candlenut Lane and Highway 9at 4th Street/Shoally Creek Road, slightly reconfiguring 4th Street to minimize the existing sharp curve in the roadway, and installing a traffic signal at Highway 9 and Candlenut Lane.
Construction will start after the state has finalized its acquisition of right-of-ways, according to the DOT.
An estimated 30,000 vehicles travel Highway 9 through Boiling Springs each day, according to state DOT traffic counts. The number has steadily risen over the past five years, as more businesses have opened and nearby housing developments completed.
Another Boiling Springs area project being planned by Spartanburg County is the $2.85 million widening of a 1.6-mile stretch of Hanging Rock Road from Valley Falls to Double Branch roads.
The 18-foot-wide road will be widened to 24 feet, and curves and hills will be eliminated. The widening is expected to benefit a 764-lot subdivision is being built on Hanging Rock Road. A construction start date has not been set.
Spartanburg County boosts spending
Meanwhile, the county plans to spend $8.1 million this year and $101.4 million over the next five years on road projects to upgrade its 1,735-mile county roads system.
The county's population has grown from about 200,000 to more than 325,000 in the past 30 years, yet many roads have outlived their life expectancy, according to county officials.
About 1,515 miles of roads and bridges are considered in good shape, but an estimated 220 miles are in need of repair.
County Council Chairman Manning Lynch said the county has not kept up with upgrading its road system.
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"When I was elected, a big part of what I talked about was the need to improve our infrastructure," said Lynch, who is a home builder.
"County council has done a great job for a number of years of not raising taxes, but we're not spending near enough money on our roads to keep up the way we ought to."
The recently passed five-year capital improvement plan boosts spending by $30 million over the previous five-year plan, he said.
With continued economic and residential growth expected, Lynch said tax revenues will help fundbetter roads.
"If not now, when?" he said. "We are in the best economic times now in Spartanburg County. It's time to invest in our infrastructure. It's not just something we can put off."
Projects done, planned
Public Works Director Travis Brown said road widening projects were completed this past year on Melvin Hill, Snow Hill, Hampton, Brockman McClimon and Turkey Farm roads.
Also, a bridge on Hampton Road was replaced, and intersection improvements at Falling Creek and North Blackstock Road were completed.
Projects funded this year include intersection improvements at 4th Street/Hanging Rock and Valley Falls roads in Boiling Springs; Lightwood Knott and South Hammett Roads at Reidville Road; Willis Road at U.S. 29; and the installation of a traffic signal on S.C. 290 at Draxlmaierin Duncan.
In addition, the county will continue to resurface roads, replace and repair bridges and large culverts on county-owned roads.
Planned bridge and culvert replacements include: Calvary Road Bridge, Miller Town Road, Bridge, Gate Road Bridge, Rabbit Moffit Road Bridge, Reidville Sharon Road Bridge, Beardon Road Bridge, Waspnest Road Bridge, Frey Road Bridge, and Settles Road Bridge.
Brown said county road projects such as improvements in Boiling Springs near Highway 9 are often done in tandem with state Transportation Department projects.
State projects planned
Meanwhile, state projects planned this year include:
► Lyman Traffic Triangle, $6.5 million. Construction is expected to start this fall. Improvements to main intersection areas in the town of Lyman: U.S. 29 at Pine Ridge Road; S.C. 358/Holly Springs Road at Pine Ridge Road; S.C. 129 at Holly Springs Road and U.S 29. at S.C. 292.
Nearby in Lyman, left turn lanes on U.S. 29 at Pine Ridge Road will be lengthened and left turn lanes added on Pine Ridge Road.
► Chesnee Highway and Old Post Road intersection. A traffic light will be installed, and a right turn lane added on eastbound Chesnee Highway, as well as left turn lanes on all four legs of the intersection.
► Old Post Road and Hyatt Street intersection. A traffic light will be installed and the intersection will be reconfigured to allow for through traffic to and from Interstate 85 along Hyatt Street, construction of a right turn lane on eastbound Old Post Road, and a left turn lane added on northbound Hyatt Street.
► Farmington Road will be extended a short distance to align with Old Post Road after the Old Post Road/Hyatt Street intersection is modified.The project is needed due to anticipated growth in the Gaffney area and the corridor’s proximity to both I-85 and the Gaffney Premium Outlets.
► Country Club Road corridor. The existing corridor is primarily a two-lane roadway that connects the City of Spartanburg at Union Street and South Pine Street to Glendale.
The $6 million project is near the Mary Black Trail trailhead and trails near Glendale Shoals and is expected to start this spring.The road will be widened, drainage improved and safety upgrades at key intersections for a multi-use pathway.
► A roundabout at S.C. 11 and Paris Bridge Road.
- Is there a road or project in Spartanburg County you want us to check on? Email Bob Montgomery at bob.montgomery@shj.com.
