The southern extension of S.C. Hwy. 31, down to S.C. Hwy. 707 in Horry County is more than a year behind schedule, but now a completion date is in sight.
That project is now expected to be completed in December of 2018, according to Horry County’s Public Information Officer Kelly Moore.
For now, Hwy. 544 is still as far south as drivers can go on Hwy. 31. It i the southernmost on and off point for Hwy. 31.
Work on the project began on February 25, 2014, according to online project records posted by Horry County. The project was originally scheduled to be finished in spring of 2017. Completion dates then moved to late 2017 or early 2018.
Moore said the major flooding of 2015 caused major delays in the project, and then flooding from Hurricane Matthew in 2016 pushed it back even more. Hurricane Florence put the project even further behind when it would have been wrapping up.
“For those major projects that we see outstanding from the “Ride 2″ program, which include [Hwy.] 31, we really are looking at the final home stretch,” Moore said. “So while we may see some additional delays from the recent storm, we’re anxious to get the roads completed as well. So I think you will see those projects starting to wrap up.”
Moore said the contractor over the extension project can be held liable for the delays – not necessarily the weather but anything else that put the project behind schedule.
Right now the S.C. Department of Transportation, which is overseeing management of the project, is working to figure out exactly how much that contractor could be fined.