I-73 would be a boon for the entire Grand Strand

Re “I-73 is not the answer to all our prayers” letter by Ed Yaw.

In an August to the Editor, I wrote about the many benefits that I-73 could produce for the Grand Strand, never mentioning Georgetown County or city. Unfortunately, I was not as clear as I could have been, as Mr. Yaw apparently thought I was only interested in Georgetown since I have a Georgetown address.

But I was not taking a myopic view. As noted above, I talked about the “Grand Strand” as I extolled the potential growth and employment opportunities which an interstate highway could bring to the Myrtle Beach region. Many who live on Waccamaw Neck have Georgetown addresses and have a great interest as well as concerns for the Grand Strand.

The assumption that an interstate, which would bring job-creating businesses to the region, would only benefit Myrtle Beach is proven inaccurate by South Carolina's own experience. North Charleston is not the only city which has benefited from Boeing; nor is Spartanburg the only one benefiting from BMW. Greenville certainly is not the sole beneficiary of Michelin's presence.

Concerning routes that trucks might take from beautiful Georgetown County, if they were going north they would take S.C. 31 to what is now S.C. 22 and avoid the Myrtle Beach traffic and lights, which Mr. Yaw worried about.

Important to realize is that attracting a business which creates jobs leads to the arrival of other businesses which provide support to the original business, and thus, more jobs. Of interest is the fact that the three cities mentioned (North Charleston, Spartanburg and Greenville), have one thing in common - an interstate.

I jumped on the so-called bandwagon, which Mr. Yaw mentioned, after thoughtful consideration, primarily because it is a tragedy to waste the enormous potential of the Grand Strand.

This story was originally published September 22, 2016 at 10:31 AM with the headline "I-73 would be a boon for the entire Grand Strand."