A major road project in York County is finally at its finish line, others are near
One of the larger York County road projects in recent memory is almost ready to roll away the orange cones for good.
“Highway 274, Pole Branch Road is at the finish line,” said Patrick Hamilton, director with the county Pennies for Progress program.
Pennies for Progress is a seven-year, voter-approved one-cent sales tax where revenue funds road work in York County. Hamilton said Monday night that paving should be complete this week on the massive Lake Wylie project. Pavement marking, shoulder work and similar items will still be required, but the full project should be substantially complete by the end of the month.
“You’ll still see crews there throughout the summer doing punch list items, but in general we’re hoping by the end of the month,” Hamilton said.
Work in the S.C. 274 and Pole Branch area of Lake Wylie has been a concern for residents there and road planners for some time.
The most recent Pennies voter referendum in 2017 listed other projects close to the almost-completed work. It had $7.3 million for Three Points intersection upgrades at S.C. 49, 274 and 557. It also carried over a project from the prior Pennies referendum in 2011, for S.C. 557 widening from S.C. 49 to Kingsburry Road.
That 2011 vote, known as “Pennies 3,” included the $37.8 million widening of S.C. 274 and Pole Branch that is now at the finish line.
Substantial completion for a road means drivers can use it, and often may not realize there are further steps to complete the construction project. It’s similar to the substantially complete I-77 and Gold Hill Road project between Fort Mill and Tega Cay.
“The project is essentially complete,” Hamilton said. “All the asphalt is done, the pavement markings are done.”
There are signs and similar small projects left to be done. The final traffic pattern is in place.
“It seems to be making a pretty good improvement up there,” Hamilton said.
Last fall his department, along with the South Carolina Department of Transportation and other road bodies, heard complaints about the new diverging diamond interchange. Drivers complained of people running lights and making the area unsafe.
“This spring it’s been fairly quiet, which is a good thing,” Hamilton said. “That means people are adjusting to it.”
The new interchange was a $12.5 million project on Pennies 3.
The Galleria Boulevard extension in Rock Hill is on a similar time table as the Pole Branch work in Lake Wylie. Galleria Boulevard was part of the 2017 vote, or Pennies 4. The new road connects Galleria to Red River Road.
“All the paving is complete on this project,” Hamilton said Monday night. “They should be doing the final pavement markings I think this week or next week.”
The project should be open to traffic by month’s end.
Other projects are a little further out.
A visible path has been cleared through the tree line for an intersection improvement at Fort Mill Parkway and Spratt Street. Pennies 4 had a $23.1 million widening to five lanes along Spratt and Fort Mill Parkway from I-77 to the railroad on the bypass. A separate $9 million project from Pennies 3 realigns the intersection there.
“There’s been a lot of work up to this point underground, a lot of water line, sewer line, utility relocations,” Hamilton said of the intersection work.
The project likely won’t open to traffic until next spring.
The Hubert Graham Way extension in Tega Cay, a Pennies 4 project at $2.83 million, is underway near Windhaven and the North Carolina line.
“We do hope to have this project open this fall to traffic,” Hamilton said.
The intersection of U.S. 321, Johnson and Railroad streets in York will get a new southbound left turn lane, plus realignment. That project should be open to traffic by year’s end.
