MARLBORO COUNTY, SC (WBTW) – Marlboro County Council voted against a resolution to support the Interstate 73 Project at its meeting on Tuesday.
“We are not against I-73, but being realistic, it may be 15 to 20 years before that road is built from I-95 North through Bennettsville and Marlboro County,” Marlboro County Chairwoman, Carolyn Prince, told News13.
Owner of McArthur Farms in Marlboro County, Rebecca McArthur said she was relieved when she found out Marlboro County Council did not give its support to Interstate 73.
“I was very excited that our local county council has small business in mind for folks like me,” she said. “It [I-73] would be devastating to my business here. We would probably close up.”
McArthur said the farm has been in Marlboro County for 10 years, and that most of her business comes from travelers.
“When 95 percent of your business comes during weekend traffic for about three to four months, that will totally be devastating to my business, and others like me as well,” the farmer said.
Marlboro County Administrator, Ron Munnerlyn, said the county would like to make Highway 38 a four-lane road rather than the two-lane road it currently is.
“By going North on 38, and making that a four-lane road, we would connect with North Carolina’s I-73,” he explained. “And actually, where a future I-73 here [Marlboro County] would connect, so it would be a perfect connection for us.”
Chairwoman Prince I-73 could potentially take money away from the county.
“It [I-73] would be two or three miles out from the city limits,” she said. “There would be maybe one interchange, which would severely limit access from travelers to get off the interstate for any reason, and to come to downtown or the businesses that are here.”
Munnerlyn said the county faces multiple issues with the I-73 proposal.
“We do not have infrastructure along the route of the highway, so it would cost tens, or, hundreds-of-millions of dollars to run water, sewer, electric, and all of that,” said the County Administrator.
However, he said Highway 38 already has an industrial site, and businesses travelers can stop at while passing through the county.
“We need industry here,” said McArthur. “So we understand that they have to have that access, but I just am not sold that interstate is what’s going to help that in our situation.”
The County Administrator said construction on Highway 38 would be cheaper than the $4.2 billion estimated for the I-73 Project.
“Build on what we have instead of starting over,” Munnerlyn said.
He said Highway 38 would take less time to complete, and cost roughly $30-$50 million.
“It’s our hope,” he said. “It’s not to go and oppose this, [I] don’t know that we can stop it, but instead, to make sure that our voice is heard.”
Marlboro County Council will hold its next meeting on May 8.