Makeovers coming to roads in Surfside Beach

Portions of Surfside Drive and Ocean Boulevard are closed to traffic in Surfside Beach as crews hurry to finish infrastructure and repaving work before the tourist season begins.

Crews are working to improve Surfside Drive in Surfside Beach, upgrading stormwater drainage along the strip from Pinewood Drive to Hollywood Drive, installing new curbs and gutters and repaving for parallel parking.

The construction project was raised as a priority in the town council’s visioning plans in 2014 and was budgeted for completion before this summer to curb parking woes and drainage issues along the busy street.

“We’ve got a farmer’s market that goes on during the season and that is a great success, but the problem has been adequate parking,” said Surfside Beach Mayor Doug Samples.

“This project is designed to enhance the appearance of Surfside Drive, getting rid of the dirt, holes, crumbling asphalt, etc., that were a real eyesore on the ‘gateway’ into town,” said Surfside Beach Public Works Director John Adair. “The result will be a much nicer, cleaner look. Since we are paving the right of way, where people can already park legally on the shoulder, there is not really parking being ‘added,’ just paved and much safer. There will be about 65 spaces within the scope of the project paved.”

The road work began in mid-December, Adair said.

A portion of Surfside Drive from Pinewood Drive to Hollywood Drive has been closed to traffic during construction, but the town hopes to have the lanes reopened by the end of March.

“We all hope it’s going to be done by mid-March,” Samples said. “I just ask everyone to be patient.”

Samples said the town plans to repave Surfside Drive from Ocean Boulevard to Poplar Drive once the road renovations are complete.

Construction crews are also working to bury utility lines along Ocean Boulevard between Third Avenue South and Ninth Avenue South in Surfside Beach. This is the second part of a multi-phase project the city is undertaking with the help of Santee Cooper to have the lines buried to spruce up the boulevard for tourists.

The first phase of underground wiring between Third Avenue South to Third Avenue North was completed two years ago, Adair said. “The infrastructure committee of council has said they plan on completing Ocean Boulevard in the next several phases.”

A 2 percent franchise fee paid by city electric customers is collected and matched by Santee Cooper to fund the project, Samples said.

The town is undertaking the construction phases during the tourist off season.

This story was originally published January 27, 2016 at 12:41 AM with the headline "Makeovers coming to roads in Surfside Beach."