Here’s the latest on seven major SCDOT road projects in York and Lancaster counties.
Overall, there’s been rain and a slow construction season but progress continues on road widening, intersection improvement and other efforts to meet a growing traffic demand in York and Lancaster counties.
That was the message from South Carolina Department of Transportation project manager Berry Mattox when he updated the Rock Hill-Fort Mill Area Transportation Study policy committee at its Feb. 28 meeting. Mattox updated several large projects in and near Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Indian Land and Tega Cay. Some have been under construction for a while, others soon to get there.
Here’s the latest on seven key projects in the area:
▪ Phase two widening at S.C. 160 in Lancaster County was to wrap up by this summer. Now the estimate is December. Utility and other delays are responsible, Mattox said.
“It’s moving along slowly, but it is moving along,” he said.
Blythe Development Co. is the contractor on the more than $21 million project. Work involves widening of S.C. 160 in Indian Land from Possum Hollow Road to the York County line at Sugar Creek. The road will be five lanes from Possum Hollow to Rosemont Drive, and three lanes the rest of the way to York County.
Funding for the project is a mix of RFATS, Catawba Regional Council of Governements and Lancaster County Water and Sewer District money.
▪ RFATS approved a transportation plan amendment last month to spend $2.4 million on the U.S. 521 and Marvin Road intersection project in Indian Land. Plans involve new turn lanes and signal timing changes. The project should be ready for construction bids by October. Road officials are working with property owners, particularly of a gas station at the intersection, to finalize plans.
“We’re still pushing through right-of-way,” Mattox said.
The project will take considerable construction. It’s on a curve, which SCDOT has to consider for maintained visibility.
“It’s not a small intersection improvement,” Mattox said. “It’s almost a road widening tied into an intersection improvement.”
▪ Bids came in for work at Clebourne at North White streets in downtown Fort Mill back in November. They exceeded the anticipated price. New bids should start this month. The project will add a right turn lane on Clebourne onto northbound U.S. 21. Current project funding estimates put the work at almost $1.8 million.
“Funding has increased based on these (initial) bids we have received,” Mattox said. “We feel pretty good about where we are now.”
Mattox said his group is aware of the South Carolina Strawberry Festival in early May, and won’t have construction going on at a time when traffic already is heavy in front of Walter Elisha Park.
“We’ll work around that,” he said. “It’ll take that long to get the contractor up and running anyway.”
▪ The Pleasant Road and Carowinds Boulevard intersection in Fort Mill will get more turn lane capacity. Construction bids could start in October. More than two-thirds of the funding for the estimated $2.1 million project comes from federal air quality grants and matches. Mattox projects an increase in construction costs, perhaps by $1 million.
“The county will soon be coming back to (RFATS) asking for some additional (federal air quality grant) money,” he said.
Project scale has changed in recent years, in part leading to the need for increase.
▪ More turn lanes and extended turn lane capacity at the Celanese and India Hook roads intersection should be ready for bids in August. SCDOT is getting right-of-way from more than a dozen properties there. One owner has most of the properties.
“We’ve got offers out to everybody,” Mattox said.
The $7.6 million is closer to construction bids than other, similar projects on the list Mattox detailed at the recent meeting.
▪ More left turn capacity on eastbound East White Street at East Main Street in Rock Hill should be complete by the end of April. Cherokee Inc. is the contractor on the $2.8 million project funded mainly through a federal air quality grant. Recent rain slowed construction but the project continues its progression.
“We’re hoping it’ll be closer to the beginning, middle of April,” Mattox said.
▪ S.C. 161 at Riverview and Riverchase roads operates now as it will when it’s officially done March 20. A few punch list items remain, Mattox said. The work added turn lanes on Celanese Road and connected Ligon Road from Riverchase to Riverview. Blythe Development Co. built the almost $5 million project.
