MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW)-A fully paved and connected international drive continues to be a realistic possibility in Horry county.
Many people have reached out to News13 about the project. They’re asking what happened with the court case and if the project’s delayed two more years.
News13 talked to Councilman Johnny Vaught and he said that at this point, that is all a speculation.
The judge has not ruled on anything. He said it’s likely environmentalists will delay the project longer by sending it to a higher court but as of now, nothing official has happened with the International Drive project.
Over the summer, environmentalists claimed the water quality permit issued by DHEC was issued in error. Johnny Vaught said during court, they didn’t discuss the water quality permit.
He says, environmentalists were talking about protecting the bears and wildlife. The county plans to put up fences to protect the environment and people who will live on the other side of the road once the road goes in. Environmentalists want a tunnel or overpass for bears to cross the road.
Vaught says county officials aren’t sure why the environmentalists can’t be happy with the solution they’ve already created.
“That’s what makes it a little bit hard to swallow. You know, why would we want to provide ways for bears to cross into residential areas? Why would we want to do that? Why would we not want to keep them safe in Lewis Ocean Bay which is a preserve. Why wouldn’t we want to keep them over there to keep them safe?”
News13 called the coastal conservation group for comment, we haven’t heard back yet.
Now, we wait for the judge to rule on the international drive paving project. Once that happens, if there are no appeals, the project can go on as planned. If not, appeals could take up to two years. Count on News13 to keep you covered.
