Construction could create delays near Glenns Bay Road this week

Motorists traveling near the South Strand may notice a few more delays than usual near the Glenns Bay Road construction at U.S. 17 Bypass.

Through Friday, there will be a shoulder closure for utility relocation work on U.S. 17 Bypass northbound from The Church of the Resurrection north to Sutter Drive on the right shoulder, according to a press release from Horry County.

Also through Friday, there will be periodic traffic stops on U.S. 17 Bypass to allow Sumter Utilities to safely relocate Santee Cooper’s overhead power lines across U.S. 17, the release states.

The work is starting on the north end of the project and will work south, however both northbound and southbound traffic will be subject to being stopped.

Beginning Tuesday night, there will be a lane closure for storm drainpipe laying on Glenns Bay Road from Caropines Drive to Evergreen Circle. This work will occur between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday.

The work is part of a $46.3 million project that calls for a bridge to be built at the intersection of U.S. 17 Bypass and Glenns Bay Road to alleviate traffic congestion. It also includes the widening of Glenns Bay to Spanish Oak Drive to a five-lane highway. From Spanish Oak, the road will narrow to four lanes to the entrance of Surfside Beach Club before turning to three lanes as it reaches U.S. 17 Business.

The S.C. Department of Transportation hopes to have the utilities relocated before summer, and by spring and summer of 2016, the north- and southbound bypass ramps around the intersection will be built.

That project is scheduled to be completed by 2017.

This story was originally published April 6, 2015 at 4:59 PM with the headline "Construction could create delays near Glenns Bay Road this week."