HORRY COUNTY, SC (WBTW) – As engineers plan an estimated $552 million extension to the Carolina Bays Parkway, some North Strand residents are wondering if they could lose some of their property or their home.
State Highway 57 North, also called Wampee Road, in Little River is known for its traffic, as some use it as a shortcut to drive towards Wilmington. The goal of a northern extension to South Carolina Highway 31 is to take a lot of the cars on it and make roads like it safer.
Representatives from the North and South Carolina departments of transportation held a public meeting in Little River on Wednesday to explain the nine potential routes of the northern extension of SC 31.
“It’s continuing 31 to the (state) line and avoiding some of the congestion right there on (South Carolina) highway 9,” said Arthur Scott of Myrtle Beach.
The extension would be 19-21 miles long, but only about five miles would be in South Carolina. With nine options, however, most of Little River could possibly see a highway in their backyards. You can click here to find the maps of all nine proposed corridors.
The two southern routes (corridors 8 and 9) would reach U.S. Highway 17 faster, but could impact several housing developments.
“If you hug the coast, there’s brand new neighborhoods you’re going to cut through and take away 200 houses of people that just bought 10 years ago,” said Patrick Boulter of Little River. “That’s not a good, smart financial way.”
Four middle options (corridors 4-7) would affect fewer homes, but go through more wetlands. Some of those, along with the northern three routes (corridors 1-3), would also go near homes in the Brooksville community and Indigo Farms, which many around Little River say is important to them.
Misty and Ryan Dion, who live in Myrtle Beach, helped create a petition signed by more than 250 people to preserve Indigo Farms as it is. They’re members of the Grand Strand Running Club, which competes in the Battle at the Border, a race between GSRC and the Wilmington Roadrunners.
The race is held on the farm, which is in both Carolinas.
“I think it’ll definitely help with traffic,” Ryan said about the SC 31 extension. “I get why they want to do it. I just think they should choose a route that doesn’t affect somebody’s livelihood.”
“(It’s) somebody’s home that they’ve had for six generations,” added Misty. “If we could keep from touching that, it would be beautiful.”
A preferred route likely won’t be selected until at least the summer of 2021. A construction date can’t be set until North Carolina secures $367 million for its portion of the project. South Carolina already has its $185 million share from Horry County’s RIDE III program.
The DOTs for both Carolinas are taking comments about the proposal until Jan. 10.
