MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – Horry County and its roads are expanding, but Myrtle Beach city leaders are considering downsizing Kings Highway to make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
Kings Highway sees millions of cars each summer, but it has quickly become the city’s most dangerous road for pedestrians.
According to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, from Jan. 2018 to Jan. 2019, there were 12 pedestrian involved accidents on Kings Highway, the most of any road in Horry County.
“Kings Highway is more like Main Street coming through Myrtle Beach, and I’d like to see it as less of a freeway,” Carol Coleman, Planning Director for the City of Myrtle Beach said.
City leaders want to bring down the number of lanes from six to four, create two bike lanes, and extend the sidewalks in an effort to make the road safer for foot and bicycle traffic.
“There are a lot of sections where the sidewalk is literally abutting the curb, so it’s not a very comfortable place for pedestrians to be in, and anyone riding a bike is taking their life into their own hands by riding on Kings Highway,” Coleman said.
Myrtle Beach officials say downsizing Kings Highway will actually bring more opportunity for growth by making it a more walkable area.
“People like to be able to walk to places. They don’t want to necessarily be car-dependent. The idea is to create something so that when people come here they say, ‘Oh we’ve arrived. This is a place,'” Coleman said.
They want to slow things down in hopes of making Kings Highway more efficient without impacting traffic.
“I totally recognize that it’s called a highway, I understand that for a reason, but I also understand that it shouldn’t be so imposing to guests and residents. We need to find a better way that everybody can use it,” Coleman said.
Myrtle Beach leaders say this is a project that would take years to complete. The city, Department of Transportation and the federal government would all have to approve the changes since all three are affiliated with the road.
