Engineers want to know how you feel about making this main Horry County road bigger

U.S. 701 runs through the heart of Horry County, passing right through the middle of the region on its way to Georgetown. Now the South Carolina Department of Transportation is asking residents for help before changes are made to the road.

The project, expected to begin construction in 2022, and a part of the Ride III plan, will make U.S. 701 five lanes just north of Conway between S.C. 22 and S.C. 319. There will be a turning lane, along with paths for bikers and pedestrians. More information on the project can be found on SCDOT’s website.

The hope is to improve road capacity and safety leading to and from Conway, as well as create new recreational opportunities. The expected completion date is currently 2024, but it’s still early in the process, and that is subject to change.

According to the Horry County Ride III website, the project will cost an estimated $65 million. It is one of the more costly projects of the 20 Ride III plans.

The Ride III project money comes entirely from a one-cent sales tax, voted on by Horry County citizens in 2016. This project is also paying for a $7.5 million-widening project further north along U.S. 701 near Loris.

SCDOT is asking the public to attend a Nov. 29 meeting to discuss what the public would like to see from the North Conway project, concerns and what historical sites are near the project that planners need to be aware of. The meeting is purely informational and will feature educational displays. There will be no time for spoken public comment, but people are encouraged to leave written comments.

The meeting will be held at the Academy for Technology and Academics, 5639 US-701, Conway, SC, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

This story was originally published November 15, 2018 at 12:47 PM.