Conway to get roundabout on Singleton Ridge Road

Plans are underway to improve the intersection where the college, university and Conway Medical Center all meet.

The S.C. Department of Transportation is in the planning stages of putting a roundabout on Singleton Ridge Road, where William Finlayson Road and Technology Boulevard feed into it. A roundabout is a circular intersection where drivers travel counterclockwise around a center island, according to the Federal Highway Administration.

The $1.7 million project is being funded by Horry Georgetown Technical College, Coastal Carolina University, Conway Medical Center, the city of Conway, Grand Strand Area Transportation Study funds and the Horry County Transportation Committee.

“Right now, that project is currently under design,” said Leah Quattlebaum, program manager for the SCDOT. “We anticipate starting right of way acquisitions starting this spring/summer of 2014.”

Construction of the roundabout will begin in 2015.

“There is a significant safety issue at this intersection,” Quattlebaum said. “There’ve been numerous accidents there and traffic is ever increasing, so what we have found is that roundabouts are a pretty good solution for safety at these types of intersections.”

She said the roundabout is aimed to lower speed, keep drivers aware of other drivers; and it keeps traffic flowing.

Quattlebaum said the project must cross a time-consuming hurdle.

“It takes quite a bit of time to purchase right of way,” she said.

Bill Graham, city administrator for Conway, said the city saw the need to address the intersection as well.

“It is a real busy intersection,” Graham said. “It’s difficult for traffic coming from Technology Boulevard and also from William Finlayson to get on to Singleton Ridge. Traffic backs up in that area and we’ve had some accidents in that area.”

He said a traffic light was first considered, but then a roundabout was settled on.

“It’s increased to the point that it needs to have an improved intersection there,” Graham said. “We looked at that and the SCDOT looked at it and they actually feel like a roundabout would better serve as far as safety in that intersection and traffic flow.”

This story was originally published November 27, 2013 at 12:57 PM with the headline "Conway to get roundabout on Singleton Ridge Road."