Safety changes set for busy Myrtle Beach area road after pedestrian death and bike crashes
Safety changes have been proposed for S.C. 707 near Socastee High School, including adding more crosswalks and medians, according to plans from the South Carolina Department of Transportation.
Improvements would be added on S.C. 707, or Socastee Boulevard, from S.C. 544 to High Society Court in the Socastee area. It’s expected to cost around $4 million and will use federal funding.
“Key safety elements proposed for this project include, high visibility crosswalks, ADA ramps, leading pedestrian intervals, countdown signal heads, new pavement markings, intersection improvements, pedestrian crossings and access management practices in areas with a high frequency of crashes,” said SCDOT media relations manager Hannah Robinson in an email to The Sun News.
At least two crosswalks going over Socastee Boulevard not at intersections are included in the plans, according to SCDOT documents. There’s more crosswalks for intersections that are not already marked.
There could also be medians installed at various spots along Socastee Boulevard, including near Ann Street and Rosewood Drive.
The SC 707 Socastee Boulevard Safety Improvements project is in the early stages of development. Construction is anticipated to begin in the fall of 2026 and take around one year to complete.
Comments about the project can be sent to MeetzeKR@scdot.org.
This road improvement project is a part of the SCDOT Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Action Plan that was completed in 2022. An analysis of over 50,000 road segments and 210,000 intersections found the ones that pose the most risk to pedestrians and bicyclists.
The SCDOT found S.C. 707 had seven bicycle crashes and four pedestrians crashes from 2015 to 2019. This resulted in one death and one serious injury.
In December, a pedestrian was struck and killed while trying to cross Socastee Boulevard.
The same project is also considering changes to Robert Grissom Parkway from Stalvey Avenue to Executive Avenue/Cannon Road.
There were more streets identified in the safety action plan, including parts of Kings Highway and Ocean Boulevard.
