South Carolina I-73 Association

UPDATES

Critical I-73 Agreement Reached

The I-73 Summit of the Carolinas was held in Myrtle Beach, SC on Friday, February 11th, and it yielded an important milestone for Interstate 73. After many attempts and numerous discussions, transportation officials from North and South Carolina finally agreed upon a proposed entry point into our state, ensuring that I-73 will enter South Carolina slightly east of the original proposed point near U.S. 1 in Wallace, SC. The new agreement calls for I-73 to enter the state in the area of S.C. 38 and the road could closely follow that highway until it reaches I-95. North Carolina will build a 3.7-mile link to the state line from the existing I-74 south of Rockingham, N.C. and agreed to do so in a timely fashion. In return, South Carolina will build about a 5-mile link from S.C. 31, the Carolina Bays Parkway, to the North Carolina boarder to connect with the planned route of I-74. Both roads could ultimately benefit the Grand Strand by attracting new jobs, bringing more visitors and enabling easier, quicker evacuation during pending hurricanes.

Past attempts to reach agreement had failed and there was no certainty this effort would succeed. Early indications from North Carolina leaders targeted compromises well beyond the scope of I-73. Without an agreement, the I-73 corridor would not likely be constructed in full through South Carolina and that could ultimately have jeopardized funding of the project. With much credit to SCDOT Executive Director Elizabeth Mabry and the Northeastern Strategic Alliance (NESA) delegation, the agreement was reached and DOT officials from both states heralded the agreement.

The members of the NESA delegation that were present voted unanimously to support the joint resolution. That prompted SCDOT Executive Director Elizabeth Mabry and NCDOT Secretary of Transportation Lyndo Tippett to proclaim the summit a success and predict quick passage by their respective boards. Days later, the SCDOT Highway Commissioners formally ratified the agreement. The North Carolina Board of Transportation is expected to do the same in March.

Rep. Doug Jennings (D-Bennettsville) and Rep. Alan Clemmons (R-Myrtle Beach) were involved in the planning of the summit and convincing leaders on both sides of the border to attend. Jennings said "this is a critical accomplishment in the I-73 project and will help us move forward to gain funding". Clemmons agreed, noting "the agreement reached at the summit will be remembered as a very important milestone in our efforts to bring I-73 to reality. Were it not for the hard work of many people and the willingness of North and South Carolina leaders to negotiate in good faith, this would not be possible. Because of this, we can now work together on common studies and support each state's efforts to gain funding in the upcoming reauthorization bill".

Susan Means, Myrtle Beach City Councilwoman said " The summit was a wonderful opportunity for us to sit with the people who make the decisions. This was a highly successful event and good opportunity for us to have social and business time.”

Liz Gilland, Horry County Council Chairman added, " This wasn’t just a gathering with a lot said and no action. We accomplished a lot today!”

Tracy Edge, South Carolina House of Representatives, noted, "I am thrilled to see that so much progress has been made and that the various routes for I-73 connect to Highway 22. This gives us good reason to renew the push to designate Highway 22 and Highway 31 as I-73 and I-74, respectively. This is great news for all residents of the Grand Strand."