Officials to change the way they handle Bikefest traffic loop near airport

Randy Webster, director of Horry County Emergency Management, gave Horry County Council officials an update Tuesday on Bikefest Task Force activities, which included an improvement for how the traffic loop will operate near the Myrtle Beach International Airport.

There were significant issues last year for passengers trying to leave the airport or make their flights, and taxi cabs were scarce, Webster said.

The issues were caused by the 23-mile traffic loop created two years ago that was intended to control biker traffic through downtown Myrtle Beach. The loop runs in front of the airport.

A new communication plan between county airport officials and the Myrtle Beach Police Department is in place “so we don’t have to run into that again,” Webster told councilmen.

“The biggest issue is that last year, the taxi service wasn’t there for whatever reason, so they’ve worked now more closely with them,” Webster said.

Police and airport officials will constantly monitor the situation this year to take quick corrective action to get folks into and out of the airport quicker, Webster said.

No changes have been made to the traffic loop this year. However, if traffic is not heavy, the loop restrictions would be lifted earlier like last year’s event, after a tropical storm forced bikers to abandon the roads.

This story was originally published March 14, 2017 at 4:12 PM with the headline "Officials to change the way they handle Bikefest traffic loop near airport."