When will work begin for SC 31 interchange in Carolina Forest? Here’s what we know
Horry County needs $25 million more to complete a highway interchange planned along S.C. 31 in the Carolina Forest area.
The highway interchange would connect Augusta Plantation Drive and Revolutionary War Way to Highway 31, bringing a new entrance into the Carolina Forest area between U.S. 501 and International Drive.
In 2022, county officials said the project would cost $75 million and they hoped to break ground in the fall of 2023, according to a Facebook post. However, construction has not started.
It now appears the project won’t get started until 2025.
Plans for the project have been ongoing for years. The county purchased 23 acres of land for $1.5 million in December 2021 with the intent of building an interchange, The Sun News reported.
Horry County Council Member Dennis DiSabato told The Sun News on Wednesday the project now needs $100 million. The county hopes to use RIDE IV money to fill the gap.
The Road and Improvement and Development Effort, or RIDE, is a 1% local sales tax that generates billions to construct and improve roads around the county. Horry County’s total sales tax collection rate is currently 8%.
A fourth iteration of RIDE, which lists specific transportation projects, could be up for vote on the November election ballot. If approved, the RIDE 4 program would go into effect May 1, 2025.
DiSabato said if RIDE IV does not pass, the county will be able to secure the extra funds in other ways.
A county document states construction on the interchange is set to begin in 2025 - two years later than originally anticipated. The roadway should be finished in 2028, DiSabato said.
The connection road would go past two schools and several neighborhoods. It is expected to ease traffic congestion on roads in the Carolina Forest area. The 2022 Facebook post stated the plan is to build a four-lane road with a sidewalk and multi-use lane.
Carolina Forest’s population has grown rapidly in the past 10 years, increasing by 420% from 2010 to 2020, The Sun News reported. When trying to get to the north side of Highway 31, the only way to do so is either by U.S. 501, International Drive or River Oaks Drive. U.S. 501 is located about seven miles away from the other streets.
Connecting Augusta Plantation Drive and Revolutionary War Way would provide another access point to the area north of Highway 31.
If you want to learn more about the project, an information session will be from 4 to 7 p.m. March 18 at the Carolina Forest Recreation Center, 2254 Carolina Forest Blvd.
This story was originally published February 23, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
