A new highway under the tree? See when Lake Wylie could get going on Pole Branch.

York County Councilwoman Allison Love recognized she was talking to the Pennies for Progress director and not Santa Clause, but she couldn’t help asking for a little good news on Pole Branch Road heading into Christmas.

“Our intent is to advertise for bid in December,” said Patrick Hamilton, Pennies director. “Without any unforeseen circumstances, that’s the time line we’re on right now. Now due to the size of that project and to the holidays, and we have to have a pre-bid meeting because there’s three bridges on it, the intent would be to open bids the first week in February.”

A widening of S.C. 274 and Pole Branch Road in Lake Wylie was part of Pennies 3, voted on by York County residents in 2011. The anticipated cost then was $25.7 million. Now the budget is $35 million. The project has changed some, to include widening to three lanes in places instead of five throughout.

And, construction hasn’t begun.

Love said it’s been frustrating for her, and the residents who keep calling every time a construction estimate goes by without work starting. She and they hear about steps in the process, but don’t always understand how long each step takes. Especially when the times keep changing. Love said a year ago she was told work might begin in April of this year, then by late fall this year. Now, Hamilton said, opening bids in February likely would mean council approving on in March, followed by construction.

Construction itself will take more than a year. The most recent completion estimate wouldn’t have the road open until 2020.

Once bids are advertised, he said, a project time line is much more set than in earlier stages. So Hamilton is hopeful the current schedule will be the last one.

“So we really should not look for anything to happen, or to look different, until April,” Love said.

“At the earliest,” Hamilton said.

This story was originally published November 21, 2017 at 5:48 PM with the headline "A new highway under the tree? See when Lake Wylie could get going on Pole Branch.."