Forestbrook Road widening stirs up concern. Here’s the latest on the project
Forestbrook residents turned out in force to learn about the future of their corner of Horry County.
The line was out the door Thursday evening to hear from South Carolina Department of Transportation officials about the Forestbrook Road Widening Project.
“We want to get information from people who travel this road day-to-day, those who know it best,” project manager Stacey Johnson said. “We like to get comments from those in favor of the project, those against it and if they have suggestions.”
On Thursday, representatives with SCDOT held a session to get feedback from the public on the current plans for the project. Public comment is also accepted online through SCDOT’s website.
Approved in 2016 with the RIDE III referendum, the $89.1 million project will make Forestbrook Road five lanes with a designated turn lane from U.S. Highway 501 to Dick Pond Road. Other improvements include a walking and biking path.
According to SCDOT numbers, in 2017 there were 9,900 cars on the road every day. Officials expect that number to almost double by 2043 with 19,300 cars on the road daily. The widening project aims to prepare Forestbrook for the increase in traffic while also increasing pedestrian safety.
Since it was approved by Horry County voters, the road and the project ultimately belong to Horry County. SCDOT is effectively acting as a contractor for the county, handling the designing and planning aspects.
A concern of some residents is the future of an Horry County Fire Rescue station and other properties that might be threatened by the road being widened.
Johnson said it’s still too early to tell if the fire station will have to move and what the exact impact will be at this stage.
“It’ll definitely be a lot of properties affected. We will be acquiring a lot of right-of-way from these property owners. As far as relocation, we don’t know at this point because there is just a lot that goes into the design process,” Johnson said.
SCDOT will not begin right-of-way purchasing until the fall of 2020, Johnson said. At that time, residents will have a better idea of which properties will be affected. There will be more public information meeting throughout that process as well.
Construction is expected to begin in 2024. The entire project should be completed by 2026, according to Horry County’s RIDE Project dashboard.
There is a possibility some will be forced to move as a result of the road. Regulations state people must be fairly compensated for their loss of land and moving expenses.
A potential change to the road’s intersection with Dick Pond Road also was presented at the meeting. The road starting at Prather Park Drive could be shifted 300 feet to the north to help with traffic flow. The change would run through a few acres of designated wetland.
SCDOT presented a plan that mostly leaves the intersection as-is, but the department presented this unofficial plan to give the public a chance to comment.
This story was originally published August 16, 2019 at 9:52 AM.