U.S. 17 Bypass at back gate resurfaced because materials didn’t meet specs

The inside south bound lane on U.S. 17 Bypass just north of the new back gate bridge at S.C. 707 will be closed periodically through Tuesday night as construction crews replace materials that did not meet state specifications.

The closures, which are planned between Shetland Lane and Coventry Boulevard, began at 7 p.m. Sunday and will continue through Tuesday night, according to Lisa Bourcier, spokeswoman for Horry County.

“The closure is on the inside southbound lane for asphalt repairs, due to materials not meeting specs,” Bourcier said in an email.

The $121.7 million project, known as the back gate construction because of its proximity to the old back gate of the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, opened to traffic in October and includes an overpass that eliminated the stoplight at the Farrow Parkway/S.C. 707 intersection and keeps U.S. 17 Bypass traffic moving. It is estimated that about 70,000 vehicles pass through that intersection during peak season.

The project was initially supposed to be completed by August, but was bumped back to October, then November and work continued into January because of wet, cold weather last winter and spring.

Jason M. Rodriguez, jrodriguez@thesunnews.com

This story was originally published April 13, 2015 at 4:19 PM with the headline "U.S. 17 Bypass at back gate resurfaced because materials didn’t meet specs."