CONWAY AREA, SC (WBTW) – One woman continues to speak out after witnessing dozens of accidents, some fatal, right in her front lawn.
And it may be paying off soon.
Alice Edge lives near the intersection of Highway 501 and Enoch Raod in the Conway area.
“Horns are honking out there,” Edge describes. “Tires are screeching and they’re sliding all kinds of ways trying to avoid a wreck.”
A motorcyclist lost his life at the intersection just a couple of weeks ago. That’s what prompted Edge to reach out to News13.
I haven’t gotten over yet,” Edge said. Because I can see him in my mind’s eye right now.”
She’s been advocating for additional safety measures at the intersection since July 2017.
“That’s my quest- is just to get something safer. That will truly be safer,” she said.
Although the South Carolina Department of Transportation has already implemented additional speed advisories and road markings, a new project is in the works that Edge says will make a big impact.
An acceleration lane, to help vehicles merge with traffic on 501, is what Edge says the intersection needs to be safer.
“I feel like an acceleration lane will alleviate most of the wrecks because people could pull out into that acceleration lane, and then ease over into the roadway as it allows,” Edge said.
She’s working with Jeffrey Johnson, who represents the area at the South Carolina House of Representatives, to get the project done.
“I think the whole community knows there’s a problem there,” Johnson said.
He worked with the DOT to get a cost analysis done on the project. The lane would take around $750,000 to complete. He’s presenting the project in front of the Horry County Transportation Committee for funding.
“During that first meeting allocated $350,000 towards an acceleration lane at this intersection,” Johnson said. “It appears that’s money well spent there.”
He’s hoping to acquire the remaining funding at the next committee meeting.
“It is back on the agenda for this month, so hopefully we can get the rest of the money or more money allocated to it,” he said.
It’ll be a long time coming for Edge, who says memories of certain crashes have stayed with her for years.
“I just feel like it’s my duty as a citizen and as a caring person for people to try my best to get the word out there to the powers that be that we need help,” Edge said.
The South Carolina Department of Public Safety will provide News13 with crash statistics on this intersection. The DOT has not yet returned our request for further comment on this matter.
Count on News13 for updates on this story as it develops.