Speed limits lowered in portion of U.S. 17 Business in Murrells Inlet to reduce crashes

The speed limit for a portion of U.S. 17 Business in Murrells Inlet will change as part of Georgetown County’s plan to address safety concerns.

The speed limit between Wachesaw Road and Hammock Avenue on the highway has changed to 25 miles per hour from 35 miles per hour, according to a news release from the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office.

“Pedestrian safety was the primary reason for approval of the reduction in speed,” said department spokesman Jason Lesley.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation approved Sheriff Carter Weaver’s request to change the speed limit after a traffic study was completed for the last three years.

In the last three years, there have been 34 car crashes on U.S.-17 Business, and 21 of them have been between Wachesaw Road and Hammock Avenue, which sees about 7,700 people a day.

Lesley said most of those incidents were rear-end collisions.

“More Georgetown County accidental deaths are from traffic incidents than any other cause, and this is one more step in ensuring the safety of pedestrians and motorists, many of whom are visitors unfamiliar with the highway’s adjoining parking lots and businesses,” Weaver said in the release.