One intersection near the new Panthers site in Rock Hill could get a state safety fix
York County has only one intersection on a wide-ranging plan of statewide safety improvements, but it’s one that will see a good bit more traffic in coming years.
The intersection of Anderson and Mt. Gallant roads in Rock Hill is one of 33 spots listed in a South Carolina Department of Transportation plan for intersection safety projects. The Rock Hill crossing is just west of new entrance points to the Carolina Panthers headquarters site under construction.
The state has a combined 71 projects on proposed interstate, intersection, road safety assessment and vulnerable road safety lists up for public comment through April 11. The only other area project, also an intersection upgrade, is at Shiloh Unity Road and Monroe Highway in Lancaster County.
The state committee that came up with the listings put the Rock Hill job as No. 7 on its prioritized intersection list. There isn’t money designated this year, but $150,000 would be available for engineering in fiscal year 2023. Another $50,000 for right-of-way acquisition would follow in 2024, and $500,000 for construction in 2025.
The state listing shows there have been 166 crashes at the intersection, including 45 that were fatal or caused injuries.
The Lancaster County project, ranked No. 11 on the same list, is a year ahead of that schedule. A $250,000 allocation in fiscal year 2022 precedes $75,000 for right-of-way in 2023 and $2 million for construction in 2024.
The state listing there shows 26 crashes, 12 of them fatal or injury crashes.
Much of the funding for SCDOT road projects comes from the state gas tax. There have been discussions and legislative proposals in recent months the drop the gas tax temporarily to help offset rising gas prices. The Herald posed an online question to readers, asking whether they would support that move. Early indications in that poll, which remains ongoing here, show area drivers are largely in favor of keeping the gas tax in place if it means road work gets done on schedule.
Timing at the Rock Hill intersection on the new road safety list will be important. Original plans had the Panthers facility to open in 2023.
There was a pause to construction announced earlier this month due to funding commitment concerns between the team and city. A county resolution this week that outlines a new funding plan for public infrastructure to serve the site notes a potential two-year extension on development timeline.
Even without the Panthers project the intersection gets plenty of use. SCDOT traffic counts show Mt. Gallant coming into the intersection from the west got an average 12,300 daily vehicle trips last year and 9,200 trips from the east. Anderson Road got 19,200 daily trips. Those numbers, as with many throughout the region, are down somewhat from peak figures prior to 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The state road safety programs that include the Rock Hill and Lancaster County upgrades have an online option for public comment here. Comments also can be emailed to lewisc@scdot.org.
This story was originally published March 24, 2022 at 1:12 PM.
