Fort Mill ‘Pennies’ road project selected for new S.C. award

A local road project that's been in the works for nearly a decade is receiving high honors from experts in the engineering field.

The American Society of Civil Engineers South Carolina Section Board has named the Fort Mill Southern Bypass the winner of the 2014-2015 “ASCE-SC Project of the Year.” This is the first time the award has ever been given, and while local leaders have no idea who nominated the project, they are excited to receive the designation.

The requirements for the honor are that it is to be substantially completed before Sept. 30 in the year the award is given, must be considered a civil engineering design and be part of a larger overall development. The projects nominated are judged on their significance to the profession, technical merit and overall contribution to the state.

The Fort Mill Southern Bypass project is now more than 80 percent complete. Project Coordinator Steven Moss estimated vehicles will be able to hit the pavement by the end of 2015, if weather cooperates.

“It's going to be nice. It's going to tie into Fort Mill Northern Bypass and be really nice,” Moss said.

The project creates a four-mile loop around downtown Fort Mill and adds another mile of intersections. When completed, it will be a shortcut to help relieve congestion in the downtown area. It's a huge undertaking that's been in the works for nine years.

“I don't know how long it's been since a new road has been built in York County but it's been a long time,” Project Engineer Jim Gaddy said.

With a $45 million budget, it's the most expensive project within York County's Pennies for Progress program to date. Thanks to a Capitol Projects sales tax, the Pennies program has created, repaved or repaired roads and bridges across York County since the first phase was first approved in 1997.

Now local leaders are preparing to put together a fourth phase and send it to voters for approval in a referendum. Phase three passed with 82 percent of the ballots cast. Once approved, program coordinators have seven years to use the funds for capitol improvement. County Manager Bill Shanahan said phase four of Pennies will likely include a project to relieve congestion on the eastern side of the county by tying into U.S. 521 in Indian Land, which is in Lancaster County.

“Our goal is to keep moving forward, Shanahan said. “We are finding better ways to get things done quicker. The state is very interested in improving our progress.”

Leaders at the state level have taken notice of the success York County has had with its Pennies program. The first of its kind in the state, the York County Pennies program had no prototype to follow on the state level, but now it's leading the way.

“The other counties in the state, when they need help and they're trying to start something or figure out a way to do it better, they come to us, Shanahan said.

“We are the example in the state and we are very proud of that.”

In fact, Shanahan is so proud of the program, he's nominated it for the J. Mitchell Graham Memorial Award. It recognizes counties that address community challenges, implement operational improvements or enhance their citizens’ quality of life in a unique way. The winners for that award will be announced Aug. 6.

This story was originally published July 30, 2015 at 7:32 PM with the headline "Fort Mill ‘Pennies’ road project selected for new S.C. award."