Sick of potholes and congestion on York County roads? Officials seek the 1-cent solution.
Residents have a chance to tell county planners which improvements they believe are needed for York County’s roads.
The referendum to once again fund the one-cent sales tax program Pennies for Progress is up for vote Nov. 7, 2017. Residents can submit items for the list, which should be finalized early next summer, said Patrick Hamilton, program manager.
The estimated $225 million Pennies 4 referendum – there were three prior rounds of voter-aproved funding – is the largest under the program so far, he said. Residents can submit any transportation project to be considered for the program, which covers roads on both sides of the Catawba River, including Fort Mill, Lake Wylie, Rock Hill, York and Clover. A public hearing first reading is scheduled for June 5, 2017.
“It touches all parts of the county,” Hamilton said. “It’s a huge benefit to everybody that lives here.”
Construction on York County Pennies for Progress’ project to widen S.C. 160 from Zoar Road to the N.C. state line to five lanes is on track to begin in 2018, Hamilton said. The design phase is 70 percent complete on the $8.8 million project.
Aiming for a May 2017 completion date, work is also continuing on the Tega Cay-Gold Hill Connector, which has been under construction since last September, Hamilton said. The two-lane road will run to Hubert Graham Parkway from Gold Hill Road.
“A lot of the project you can’t see from Gold Hill,” he said. “There is still a good bit of work to be done down near the bridge.”
The $11.1 million connector will provide a much-needed cut through for drivers, Hamilton said.
“Hopefully it will improve traffic on the Gold Hill - S.C. 160 intersection,” he said. “It will provide an alternate route for residents of Tega Cay.”
The widening will pick up where SCDOT improvements at the intersection at Gold Hill Road and S.C. 160 at Zoar Road, now underway, end. That intersection will be open by mid-December, barring further delays, said John Huskins, SCDOT resident construction engineer. Weather has been a factor in completing the work.
Construction workers will finish minor paving and paint work before opening the intersection to traffic as the team breaks for the winter, he said. Final paving will be completed in the spring.
Projects such as the connector and S.C. 160 widening would not be possible without Pennies for Progress funding, Hamilton said.
“The program has been a huge asset to the county to be able to do projects like this that otherwise would’ve never been completed,” Hamilton said. “It helps reduce congestion, improve safety and the overall betterment of the county.”
To submit a project for consideration or learn more about the Pennies 4 referendum, visit penniesforprogress.net/Pennies4.
This story was originally published December 7, 2016 at 4:51 PM with the headline "Sick of potholes and congestion on York County roads? Officials seek the 1-cent solution.."