Here’s how to avoid Conway downtown traffic while visiting Halloween, SC
Thousands of people have made their way to Conway this season to see the Halloween decorations that are placed throughout the city but are concentrated in the downtown area.
And while the decor can sometimes be a little scary, but it’s not the ghouls and ghosts that visitors find frightening – it’s the traffic.
The popularity of the city’s displays have drawn visitors to downtown each weekend since the beginning of October. About 21,000 people were out and about on Friday, and while the city is still waiting on numbers from Saturday and Sunday, officials are estimating that the figure will be double that amount, according to city spokesperson June Wood.
That many people have caused serious traffic congestion in the downtown district, prompting the city to make changes to traffic patterns and encouraging drivers to use other roadways to get to their destinations if they aren’t planning to shop, work or eat downtown.
“One of the biggest things is for those who don’t need to be in downtown district to use (U.S.) 501 bypass,” Wood said.
The largest complaint officials heard over the weekend is, “I got stuck in traffic,” she said.
A big change will be eliminating left turns on Main Street. This area is often used by motorists who are coming from other areas of the county.
Wood said the most impacted traffic is north of Conway and the east Conway side. These areas are generally used by drivers coming from Highway 90 and 905, or north coming from the Loris area or heading to Coastal Carolina University because it is quicker, Wood said.
“It’s not faster right now,” she said.
Police officers will be out managing any traffic congestion, Wood said.
Here are other changes that will occur:
– Residential side streets close to downtown will be one lane. Wood said that officials have been seeing a lot of cars parked on both sides of the streets in those areas, making it difficult for traffic to get through.
– Marina Drive will be re-opened. It had been closed to allow pedestrian access. The city will open it up for parking, giving a lane for traffic to exit.
– Closing large alley ways for pedestrian traffic only.
And maybe most important for those thousands of visitors, the city is adding porta potties around the downtown area, as well as food trucks in the marina area.
“We know there is still going to be congestion in the downtown area,” Wood said. But officials are hoping the changes will alleviate some of the problems.
