Conway roundabout project on hold, may be scrapped

Conway won’t be getting another roundabout any time soon.

At least not on Singleton Ridge Road.

City leaders recently pumped the brakes on plans to build a traffic circle where Singleton Ridge and William Finlayson roads intersect near Technology Boulevard.

Although city officials call that area one of the most dangerous intersections in Conway, they say some proposed road projects may not work with a roundabout.

“There are other things coming up that are affecting this project,” said Adam Emrick, the city’s planning director. “We’re sort of on hold.”

Earlier this year, Conway City Council approved a $2,885,000 funding package for a roundabout at the spot where the three roads meet. Officials had planned to begin construction in January, but they received just one bid for the project and it was about $1 million over budget.

When city and county planners began talking with state Department of Transportation officials about possible projects in the RIDE III road-building program, they realized there were other potential hurdles.

One of the projects impacting the traffic circle is the lengthening of Middle Ridge Drive, a U.S. 501 frontage road that’s projected to be extended west to Singleton Ridge.

That project is currently included in the list of RIDE III proposals, which will go before Horry County Council in the spring, and, if approved, to voters in the fall.

The state Department of Transportation did not factor the extension of Middle Ridge into plans for the roundabout and needs to run the numbers to make sure the engineering works, Emrick said. He added that recently there have been discussions about widening Singleton Ridge.

“If Singleton Ridge is widened, the roundabout project is over because it will not function with the number of lanes that they are talking about,” he said.

Conway Mayor Alys Lawson said that although the intersection is dangerous and the city has labored to find money for the roundabout, postponing construction is the only sensible option.

“It’s ridiculous to build it and tear it apart,” she said.

But if officials scrap the roundabout, what will they do about the troublesome intersection?

“I would wager a lot that if the roundabout project does come off, that SCDOT will have to come up with an interim fix for this intersection,” Emrick said. “It just doesn’t work right now.”

One possible solution local and state officials are considering was proposed by Horry County Councilman Johnny Vaught, whose district includes Singleton Ridge.

Vaught said the biggest traffic problem in that area is the influx of drivers, many of them college students, turning onto William Finlayson from U.S. 501 and using the road as a shortcut to Technology Boulevard. When those drivers turn right onto Singleton Ridge, they must immediately hang a left onto Technology Boulevard.

“That’s what’s screwing up the whole works,” he said. “It blocks the traffic from both directions.”

Vaught suggests eliminating right turns from William Finlayson onto Singleton Ridge. He’s also recommending officials add a left turn lane from Singleton Ridge onto Technology Boulevard. Such a change, he said, would involve some paving and little expense.

“It’s a cheap fix,” he said.

As for the roundabout, Vaught said there isn’t enough space in that area to support such a project.

“It just makes no sense,” he said.

Local officials plan to continue looking at possible solutions for Singleton Ridge in the new year. Vaught stressed that widening the busy thoroughfare must become a priority.

“We’ve got to have some turn lanes on Singleton Ridge by Conway hospital,” he said. “I’ve been parked behind ambulances … lights flashing and everything, waiting to turn left and go to the emergency room. Nowhere to go.”

This story was originally published December 23, 2015 at 11:14 AM with the headline "Conway roundabout project on hold, may be scrapped."