HARTSVILLE, S.C. (WBTW)-The new month brings new upgrades to the city of Hartsville. Three major road projects are planned to begin shortly with one project improving the looks of downtown while the other two are aimed to help the flow of traffic.
“Oh my god, I hope that person doesn’t get hit,” said Tremaine Frazier, a cashier at Foxes Corner.
Those are Tremaine Frazier’s thoughts every time someone tries to go left out of the Foxes Corner gas station where she works.
“It is kind of like frogger, they be running, stopping, running, stopping, it is crazy.”
The new light would be installed here on south Fifth Street at the Hartsville crossing intersection.
Frazier said she witnessed two accidents happen here just last week and says it’s a pretty common occurrence.
And while her main concern is safety, she hopes the new light will help business.
“People tell me the reason they don’t come to our store like that is because of the congestion and the traffic like they cannot get out when they’re trying to go somewhere else.”
But that isn’t the only place in town that will get a new light.
East Carolina Avenue and South Second is one of the intersections that will be getting a red light and drivers and college students say it is desperately needed.
“It’s definitely a safety hazard, just the fact that cars come flying by and kids walking across the street all the time,” said Bryson Conner a Coker College student.
And one driver told us it’s not just the pedestrians that need a signal.
“Definitely a light needs to be there, they’ve had so many wrecks through the years, a lot of injuries,” said Patricia Hall.
The project also includes pedestrian crossings and landscaping that surrounds Coker College.
South Fourth Street will also see some improvements with new brick pavers for the sidewalks, tree grates and street lights on either side. For those who frequent downtown, ten new parking spaces will be added.
The projects will begin by mid-February and should be completed by mid-May. Drivers can expect partial lane closures.
