Great news for the future of I-73/74!
A survey conducted and released by famed polling company Zogby International shows that people in South Carolina believe that interstate access to the Myrtle Beach area is important for hurricane evacuation and for the state in general.
The results indicated that nearly 70 percent of those polled statewide believe that it is important that an interstate highway be built through Northeastern South Carolina terminating in the Myrtle Beach area. In addition, 84 percent surveyed said it is important to have an interstate built to Myrtle Beach for the purpose of hurricane evacuation. For the complete survey results of the I-73 questions, click here.
“I-73 is a top priority in order for tourism, South Carolina’s No. 1 economic generator, to thrive and for the visitors and the residents along the coast to stay safe in the event of a hurricane,” said Rep. Alan Clemmons (R-Myrtle Beach), chairman of the South Carolina I-73 Association. “I am glad to find that the rest of South Carolina believes I-73 is as important as we at the South Carolina I-73 Association do."
“Interstate access of the magnitude of I-73 will be the engine that spurs and drives economic development, including new industry and new jobs, to South Carolina,” said Rep. Doug Jennings (D-Bennettsville), chairman of the North Eastern Strategic Alliance I-73 Committee. “NESA’s commitment to enhancing the quality of life for our residents falls directly in line with the opportunities that I-73 will bring our region.”
Zogby International provides polling, market research, information services and business solutions all over the world. With this wide variety of services, Zogby International’s clients range from media and health care businesses to non-profit organizations and political candidates. Some of their more notable clients include St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Microsoft Corporation, Bureau of the Census, Philip Morris, American Civil Rights Institute and the United Nations, Office of the Secretary. John Zogby, president of Zogby International, also is widely considered America’s premiere political pollster. WPDE-TV, the ABC affiliate for the Myrtle Beach area, released the results yesterday.
Roanoke County OKs luxury golf resort
Mount Pleasant residents came out to support rezoning of the 375-acre site
By Cody Lowe
The Roanoke Times
With the blessing of nearby residents, Roanoke County's Board of Supervisors on Tuesday enthusiastically approved a rezoning to allow the construction of a luxury golf resort in the Mount Pleasant area.
Ona Early, representing the Mount Pleasant Civic League, pointed out that "tonight as you look around room, you'll see a lack of angry neighbors." That's because developer Lester George "put the community first," she said, "embraced our scenic beauty, is bringing jobs ... and will not overburden our roads and schools. If this is not smart growth, what is?"
Her group voted unanimously in support of the project at a recent meeting.
George, a Richmond planner, proposes to convert the 375-acre tract on Pitzer Road - formerly known as the Saul farm - into a golf course, with club house, restaurant and overnight accommodations for members, and as many as 89 residential lots.
The FountainHead Golf Club's members will mostly be from out of town, George said. Of the 320 proposed memberships, only 50 would be reserved for local residents.
"Under the current business plan," he said, "national memberships will be starting at $75,000 with dues of around $2,400 a year. Local memberships will be starting around $60,000 with dues of around $4,000 a year."
If financing can be arranged quickly, George said, "I'd like to be building the golf course by January, February or March and be ready to play in fall 2006 or spring 2007."
The board also heard from County Attorney Paul Mahoney on proposed new regulations on adult businesses.
The zoning changes include such things as restricting adult businesses' locations to 300 feet from day-care centers, schools, churches or residential areas. The proposal will be heard by the Planning Commission on Oct. 4.
If approved there, those and planned changes in the county criminal code regulating such businesses will be heard by the supervisors on Oct. 25.
In other action, the supervisors:
Agreed to pay approximately $142,000, their proportionate share, of ongoing expenses for the new Western Virginia Regional Jail Authority pending that body's obtaining financing for the project. Supervisor Butch Church of the Catawba District dissented.
Voted to donate three surplus county vehicles to the town of D'iberville, Miss., which lost half of its 14 vehicles in flooding from Hurricane Katrina. Career county fire and rescue worker Travis Anderson discovered the need when he used vacation time to volunteer in the flood-struck region. He approached the county for help. The three cars all have more than 100,000 miles and were scheduled for auction. They're delighted to have vehicles with any mileage," County Administrator Elmer Hodge said.
Transmitted their priorities for interstate and primary roads projects to the Virginia Department of Transportation. Heading the list were continuing work on planning a proposed Interstate 73 and the planned widening of Interstate 81. Other priority sites included U.S. 11/460 west of Salem, U.S. 221 south of Roanoke, a bridge over Back Creek on Jae Valley Road, and improvements along Electric Road.
State officials put heads together over I-73 project
Participants urge quick passage of S.C. funds
By Tonya Root
The Sun News
If state officials pledge to fund their part of the proposed Interstate 73 corridor, federal officials might make the project a higher priority and get the road built sooner, officials said Tuesday.
State officials agreed to consider a transportation funding package that would set aside 10 percent of the $1.7 billion needed to build South Carolina's portion of the highway. The exact source for the funding remained unclear.
The road is proposed to run from Myrtle Beach to Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., and give the Grand Strand its first interstate highway connection. Officials promote the highway as a way to allow more tourism and economic growth, as well as better hurricane-evacuation access.
Officials from the S.C. Transportation Infrastructure Bank and the state Department of Transportation met jointly for the first time Tuesday at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. They heard presentations on the progress of I-73, funding and the next step in the process for the high way project.
U.S. Rep. Henry Brown, R-Hanahan, said he hopes to get the corridor moved from No. 5 to No. 2 on the federal highway-funding priority list. A commitment from the State Transportation Infrastructure Bank to fund 10 percent of the project through South Carolina would be "the ace in the hole" to move it on the list, Brown said.
"It's hard to get funds for a road that doesn't exist," Brown said. "The federal government doesn't like to spend money without a plan."
State Rep. Alan Clemmons, president of the S.C. I-73 Association, said he wants to see a funding package come before him and legislators this year for approval.
A state 10 percent match would be "the slam dunk in Washington," Clemmons said. "It truly shows the willingness to cooperate and acquire federal funds so much easier."
He also suggested a private-public partnership to fund the highway project.
"The funding now is critical. We need to investigate every possibility that's out there to fund I-73," Clemmons said. "Opening up that corridor will bring in a great deal of business that we have been unable to tap."
No route has been selected for the highway because officials continue to study the 2,200 square miles of area in the proposed route, said Mitchell Metts, I-73 project manager for the S.C. Department of Transportation.
A final environmental-effect statement, which would narrow the study area and provide a proposed route, should be completed by December 2006, Metts said.
If approved, an environmental permit could be issued by February 2007 for work on the project. The next step would be to secure funding to purchase rights of way for the road, he said.
What's Next . . .
S.C. and N.C. officials plan to meet for a transportation summit Feb. 10-11 in Myrtle Beach to discuss Interstate 73 plans, such as its proposed route, joint studies at the border and funding.
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SCDOT's Project Update
Since Congress approved a $3 million earmark for the Interstate 73 project, the SCDOT Commission has approved the use of a consultant to complete an initial environmental document.
The SCDOT staff has completed a feasibility study that identified a 5000 square mile study area for I-73 in South Carolina. Within the study area, the SCDOT conducted a planning level review to identify projected traffic volumes and preliminary environmental impacts associated with new location alternatives, as well as the upgrade of existing routes US 501 and SC 9 to interstate standards. The SCDOT study is very preliminary, and is intended to initiate further environmental and engineering analyses. The review assessed environmental and social constraints, estimated traffic demand, alignment and design criteria, and preliminary costs of the project.
Potential I-73 corridors would be approximately 90 miles in length with projected traffic volumes of approximately 60,000 vehicles per day. Preliminary cost estimates range between $1 and $2 billion.
SCDOT is currently negotiating with a consultant to begin the studies necessary to produce an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The documentation will be in the form of a draft Environmental Impact Statement from I-95 northwest to the state line and a final Environmental Impact Statement from I-95 southeast to the Myrtle Beach area. The results of the Environmental Impact Statement will be a selected corridor from I-95 to the state line and a selected alignment from I-95 to Myrtle Beach area.
The consultant will develop a detailed public involvement process in coordination with all Counties located within the project study area. Development of overall project delivery strategy will also be conducted in close coordination with all regulatory agencies.
The intent is to have the Environmental Impact Statement completed within a three-year time period.
For more information on SCI-73 by the South Carolina Department of Transportation, visit http://www.scdot.org.
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An Update From Alan Clemmons, Chairman of the SC I-73 Committee
"Close, but no cigar" That's how we feel. Momentum has been building for I-73, due in part to you, the members of the South Carolina I-73 Association. To think that one year ago, we faced the serious risk of losing the I-73 corridor. Today, we have made significant progress.
Studies have begun, public meetings are being held and a stakeholder working group has been formed. With much gratitude to leaders at the state and federal level, several million dollars have been appropriated. A few months ago, Sen. Inhofe, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, promised to work to get funding and a key designation for our interstate corridor. Things are moving and we hope to soon see the fruits of our labor.
I, like you, am mildly disappointed that the Transportation Reauthorization Bill did not pass Congress. However, with a presidential election behind us and our state's Congressional Delegation solidly in support of I-73, I believe we stand a good chance at securing an unprecedented level of funding at the federal level. There are no guarantees, but we are positioned for good things to come.
We can be proud of our accomplishments over the past year. And, together, we can see I-73 become a reality.
On behalf of the South Carolina I-73 Association and the many residents and visitors who will someday drive on I-73, thank you for your involvement. Without your support, we could not have made this much progress in 2004.
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Transportation Funding Stalled in Congress
After numerous attempts to reach agreement on a six-year authorization of the federal highway and public transportation programs (TEA-21), Congress was unable to produce a conference report and final action on the bill and appears to want to wait until next year. This bill is the main vehicle for future funding of I-73. Conference leaders of both bills said they would direct their staffs to continue working on reaching an agreement, but with a new Congress seated in January bills must pass the House and Senate before returning to conference committee.
Originally, the House proposed reauthorization at $375 Billion, a full 50% more than President Bush indicated he was willing to approve. Ultimately, House and Senate leaders reached agreement on an amount rumored to be at or near $300 Billion. However, the likelihood of passage of this bill during a contentious Presidential election was not good and limited progress was made during the recent lame duck session.
TEA-21 continues to operate under its sixth short-term extension that continues highway and public transportation programs until May 31, 2005. A $4 million allocation was appropriated towards I-73 in the most recent session and it is hoped that the South Carolina Congressional Delegation can effectively position I-73 for favorable funding in 2005, when the reauthorization bill will most likely be passed.
For your information, the chart below compares the TEA-21 reauthorization funding proposals now on the table.
Legislative Proposals |
Guaranteed Funds |
Total Authorizations |
House-passed Bill (H.R. 3550) |
$279.4 billion |
$284 billion |
Senate-passed Bill (S. 1072) |
$301 billion |
$318 billion |
House-proposed compromise |
$284 billion |
$299 billion |
Inhofe-proposed compromise |
$289 billion |
$301 billion |
Supporters of transportation funding, including the South Carolina I-73 Association, have already begun a grassroots effort to urge Congress to act early next year to move to final action on TEA-21. South Carolina legislators are working with South Carolina DOT to prompt agreements between North Carolina and South Carolina on the entry point for I-73.
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Young to seek transportation bill's passage
MILLIONS FOR ALASKA: Proponents of plan say odds of approval are long.
The Associated Press
(Published: November 12, 2004) FAIRBANKS -- U.S. Rep. Don Young will push for the passage of a new transportation bill that includes hundreds of millions of dollars in Alaska projects when Congress meets in a short session next week.
But differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill have not been worked out by a conference committee appointed to shape a compromise, said Steve Hansen, Young's Transportation Committee spokesman.
"It still is a possibility, but the window of opportunity is closing fairly quickly," Hansen said. "Unless we can get an agreement from the Democrats, nothing will happen until next year."
Young, who is chairman of the committee, and others want to significantly increase the rate by which the federal government distributes gasoline tax money and to secure billions for specific projects. Young has about $500 million in earmarks in the House bill, above the $2 billion to $2.5 billion delivered to the state by the current gasoline tax formula over six years.
The Alaska projects include $200 million for a bridge over Knik Arm north of Anchorage and at least $137 million for a bridge to Gravina Island west of Ketchikan.
Young said last month that he would press for the bill's passage in the post-election session, which is expected to last about a week. He said that if it isn't passed this year, the bill will have to be reintroduced and go through the entire process again.
Congress has already approved an eight-month extension to the existing transportation spending bill, which keeps the states' gasoline tax revenue formula the same.
The Senate's version of the new bill proposed spending $318 billion over six years. The House passed a $284 billion bill, down from the $375 billion Young sought initially.
The American Highway Users Alliance, a group lobbying for the bill, said in its Nov. 5 newsletter that Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., is now the key decision-maker.
Reid is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which has jurisdiction over the highway bill. He objected earlier this year when Republican Sen. James Inhofe, the committee chairman, suggested spending about $300 billion over six years.
But the highway alliance said the new political landscape may cause Reid to reassess his opposition to Inhofe's compromise figure.
"The growing number of conservatives in the next Congress has signaled to transportation groups that it is unlikely that a major increase in surface transportation funding is politically achievable in 2005," the newsletter said.
That could build bipartisan support for passing the bill, although "the odds remain long that the stars will align," it said.
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September 16, 2004
State
invites public to share I-73 views
Residents
will have a chance to tell planners where they think Interstate 73 should lie.
By Zane Wilson
The Sun News
Barbecue dinners
and activities for children are among the enticements aimed at getting the public
out for meetings about Interstate 73.
In the coming week,
residents of the Pee Dee will have three chances to tell highway planners their
concerns about what should be considered as the route is plotted.
The first session
is tonight in Dillon. It is a meeting of invited interest group representatives.
Meetings for the
public are Saturday in Mullins and Tuesday in Conway. People can drop in during
the sessions; they do not have to attend the entire time.
The state never
has gone so far to involve the public in road planning.
The DOT and its
consultants have been on radio shows, passed out fliers at high-school football
games in the region, put stuffers in grocery bags and had a community organizer
visit some locations.
"I don't know of
any other project where we've gone to this level to get the word out," said Mitchell
Metts, I-73 project director at the DOT.
The weekend meeting,
barbecue dinners and children's activities are aimed at encouraging attendance.
"We want people
to come," said Patrick Tyndall, I-73 project coordinator for the Federal Highway
Administration's office in Columbia.
Participation is
being encouraged because the project is large and complicated. The more people
who voice opinions or concerns early in the process, the sooner the issues can
be dealt with.
That will make
the project run smoother and faster, Metts said.
At the public meetings,
people will be shown a map of the study area and asked where they think the road
should be constructed.
Planners will use
the information to refine proposals and bring them back to the public again, Metts
said.
Some concerns that
already have been raised by interest groups will be discussed Thursday at what
is being called the Stakeholder Working Group.
The group of about
50 people represent organizations including local governments, chambers of commerce,
the Coastal Conservation League, the S.C. Tobacco Growers Association and the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Metts said.
The Stakeholder
Working Group is expected to remain active throughout the three-year planning
process, meeting as often as every other month.
Any group with
concerns about the road that has not received an invitation may attend, Metts
said.
"We'll be asking
specific questions of the stakeholders' group," Tyndall said.
Mickey McCamish,
president of Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, is an invited stakeholder.
He said he will
stress that "with all the hurricane activity this year, the importance of an interstate
for hurricane evacuation purposes."
The road also is
important for getting people to the coast easily, he said.
"It's so important
because these tourists have a choice of where they go," he said.
McCamish said he
also will attend the public meeting in Conway "just to be supportive and see what
the questions in the community may be."
Gary Loftus, director
of Coastal Federal Center for Economic and Community Development and Clay Brittain
Jr. Center for Resort Tourism at Coastal Carolina Univer- sity, also plans to
attend the stakeholder and Conway meetings.
"I just think it's
important to keep the momentum going," Loftus said. "You just gotta keep the enthusiasm
going and continually emphasize the importance of this so people don't forget."
August
19, 2004
Survey,
meetings part of I-73 feedback effort
By Bruce Smith
The Associated Press
CHARLESTON - You
can attend meetings, go online, take a roadside interview or perhaps mail in a
survey if you want your say in where the proposed $2 billion Interstate 73 will
be built in South Carolina.
"The public needs
a transparent process on this. It's just too important to the state of South Carolina
to come up with any last minute surprises," said Debbie Harwell, a spokeswoman
for the I-73 study.
Highway planners
are studying 2,200 square miles in four counties - Marlboro, Dillon, Marion and
Horry - as they consider routes for the expressway that will one day link the
Grand Strand with Michigan.
The highway will
provide an easier way to move tourists into Myrtle Beach and an escape route for
hurricane evacuations.
The Department
of Transportation will conduct roadside surveys of motorists during the next two
weeks on roads in Horry County.
The surveys will
be brief, taking about 90 seconds. If traffic begins to back up, motorists will
be handed a survey to mail to the department, she said.
In addition, public
meetings will be held Sept. 18 in Marion and Sept. 21 in Conway.
"Everybody ought
to be excited and relieved at the process because it is wide open to questions
and suggestions and open communication," said Brad Dean, president and chief executive
officer of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.
In addition, folks
who want to comment on the expressway can go online to www.i73insc.com and can
simply e-mail concerns or thoughts. There is also a project hot line, 1-866-473-4672.
Interstate 73 will
travel about 90 miles through South Carolina.
August
16, 2004
SCDOT
Web Site, Hotline Provide I-73 Info
Adobe Palm LLC
A Government & Media Relations Firm
3830 Hobcaw Ct.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577-5929
843-457-0185 telephone
843-626-0011 facsimile
Dear I-73 Association
Members:
I enjoyed talking
to the I-73 Association last week about the interstate and the efforts that are
being made to provide and receive information from the public. You are a big stakeholder
in this process and we want to keep the lines of communications flowing.
Please feel free
to use the provided web address and hotline to obtain or give information regarding
Interstate 73. If I can assist in anyway, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Web Address:
www.i73insc.com
Hotline: 1-866-
i73insc (1-866-473-4672)
Sincerely,
Deborah B.
Harwell
Adobepalm@aol.com
Posted:
August 12, 2004
OPINION
Launched at Last
Interstate 73 takes step one toward reality
True to its word,
the S.C. Department of Transportation this week formally launched its environmental
study for Interstate 73 between Myrtle Beach and the S.C.-N.C. border. This project,
which has the potential to eliminate the Grand Strand's chronic substandard road
service, is now begun.
That qualifier
"potential" is necessary because Congress has not yet found money to finance the
construction of the highway. The S.C. DOT's environmental study will proceed,
with cooperation from other state and federal agencies, regardless.
Nor is it yet clear
whether N.C. political leaders and the N.C. Department of Transportation will
designate that state's portion of I-73 - apparently because they're hoping a parallel
effort to secure funding for Interstate 74 between Charlotte and southeastern
North Carolina will be successful. If that highway is finished ahead of I-73 -
much of the route has already been built - N.C. vacation traffic could be diverted
to N.C. beach communities. Because of this N.C. games-playing, the S.C. DOT is
planning I-73 in two phases: from the Grand Strand to Interstate 95, and from
I-95 to wherever the N.C. folks decide to put their stretch of I-73.
Regardless, we'll
know soon whether Congress will appropriate construction money for the project.
And N.C. leaders eventually will see that it's in their state's interest to build
an I-73 link: Interstates do carry commerce - and wealth - in both directions.
For now, it's enough
that work toward our highway link with the outside world is under way at last.
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By
April Springs
SC
I-73 Association Meeting Held
The SC I-73 Association
held a meeting on August 11th at Brandi's Banquet Hall in Dillon. After Johnnie
Luehrs, Dillon County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, welcomed all of
the guests, Alan Clemmons, Chairman and Brad Dean, Treasurer updated the group
on project funding, lobbying efforts, and legislative officials. Debbie Harwell,
I-73 EIS Communication Team, gave an update on project planning.
After the new business
was discussed the meeting was adjourned and lunch was served.
During lunch Brad
Dean, President/CEO of Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce and Treasurer of I-73
Association said, "This is the best turnout we have had. We are making progress
but we still have a long way to go. In order for this to work, three things have
to happen-destination of national signature, the route has to be designated and
approved, and funding. It's like being a football game, we have already got a
first down, now we are going for a touchdown." "I-73 will be a significant highway
for South Carolina. It will be more effective in bringing out-of-state travelers
to South Carolina," Alan Clemmons, State Representative and Chairman of I-73 Association,
said. " It will open job opportunities along the corridor in the Pee Dee, where
unemployment rates exceed those that were experienced during the 'Great Depression.'
It will bring new growth, jobs, and energy to the Pee Dee."
Linda Hayes, a
Dillon County Development Board member, said, "This is the most focused, enthusiastic,
energized group of people with whom I have ever worked. I-73 will be a reality
in Dillon County. We will ride on I-73 within the next 10 years. We have got to
get jobs in the Pee Dee."
Posted:
August 11, 2004
Agencies
plan scope of I-73 study
By Zane Wilson
The Sun News
Some 40 state
and federal agency representatives will gather Thursday in Columbia to plot out
how the Interstate 73 study should be done and what should be included in it.
The interagency
session, called a scoping meeting, is required by federal law under the National
Environmental Policy Act.
The intent is to
make sure the concerns of all the involved agencies are addressed before the study
begins.
"This is the first
major milestone in terms of the NEPA process," said Patrick Tyndall, environmental
program manager at the S.C. division of the Federal Highway Administration.
Two public meetings
on how the study should be conducted will be held in September, but definite dates
and locations have not been set.
The dates and locations
should be set in the next two weeks and will be posted on the project Web site,
Tyndall said.
The site is www.i73insc.com.
The highway agency
expects to hear information such as locations of colonies of endangered red-cockaded
woodpeckers, for example.
"We know there
are populations of them in the study area," Tyndall said.
The wide range
of agencies involved includes the Coast Guard because it may have to grant permits
for bridges over navigable waters, he said.
Ocean and Coastal
Resource Management will be represented and is interested in treatment of wetland
areas in Horry County, said bureau manager Chris Brooks.
He also wants the
road study to act on lessons learned
in the construction of Veterans Highway and avoid digging up wetland soil to use
for fill dirt. Brooks said the interagency process conducted by highway officials
is useful.
"They've done a
good job trying to listen," he said.
Federal and state
highway officials are shooting to finish the study, called an Environmental Impact
Statement, in three years.
The study will
recommend a route for the 60 miles of I-73 in South Carolina. Originally designated
in 1991 as a Detroit to Charleston highway, it is now designated as Sault Ste.
Marie, Mich., to Myrtle Beach.
Posted:
August 10, 2004
I-73
Studies Officially Begin
Agencies
must await research before building
By Zane Wilson
The Sun News
The environmental
study for the best route for Interstate 73 is now officially under way with the
publication Monday in the Federal Register of a notice of intent to conduct the
survey.
"This is the official
beginning of the project," said Mitchell Metts, I-73 project director at the state
Department of Transportation.
The notice tells
residents and other agencies that the study will be made and that they may comment
on what should be included.
It doesn't mean
that the road will be built because it is not tied to funding, but construction
can't start until the study is finished, so it is an important piece of the puzzle.
"It's another
sign of progress that we're making toward the construction of I-73 and an interstate
access for Horry County," said state Rep. Alan Clemmons, R-Myrtle Beach, chairman
of the S.C. I-73 Association.
"The notice of
intent is the next step in the road-building process," he said. "It allows us
to move forward."
The notice was
issued for two phases. One is from Interstate 95 east to the Myrtle Beach area,
where I-73 is to end, the other is from I-95 west and north to its connection
with I-73's route in North Carolina.
Metts said the
separate notices were issued because the connection with North Carolina is still
uncertain and the DOT doesn't want the whole project held up until that is settled.
The two notices
will allow work to proceed east of I-95 if the N.C. route stalls, Metts said.
The first task
is a meeting Thursday with all the state and federal agencies that play a role
in highway route selection and approving permits.
These will include
the Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, state Department
of Health and Environmental Control and state Department of Natural Resources.
Those agencies
will have their say about what should be included in the study, and public meetings
seeking comment will be held next month.
Specific dates
for those haven't been set, Metts said.
He said the DOT
is moving as fast as it can to keep its promise to finish all the studies in three
years and to be ready to start building part of the road after the study is done.
"This is a very,
very aggressive schedule on this project," Metts said.
I-73, designated
by Congress in 1991, is planned to run from Detroit to near Myrtle Beach. Parts
of it have been finished.
The project is
the DOT's top priority for construction because Myrtle Beach is the largest tourism
destination in the nation without an interstate highway connection, and state
officials see the road as an economic necessity.
The S.C. portion
is about a 60-mile stretch that is expected to cost about $2 billion.
Posted:
July 24, 2004
EDITORIAL
I-73
Picture Brightens
Environmentalist victory on route
choice makes sense politically, economically, too
The Coastal Conservation
League and N.C.-based Southern Environmental Law Center have won their battle
to restrict the eventual route for Interstate 73 to northern Horry County. The
S.C. Department of Transportation on Thursday wisely took the county's most environmentally
fragile areas, including the Waccamaw Wildlife Refuge, off the table for interstate
routing.
The move reduces
chances that conservationists will tie the S.C. DOT's I-73 route choice up in
court, delaying the project for years because of wetland damage and other environmental
offenses. Equally important, the S.C. DOT decision will reduce the time it will
take to complete the environmental impact studies required for the routing of
federally supported highway projects. Only a few weeks ago, Sen Lindsey Graham,
R-Seneca, warned an Horry County audience that a speedy route choice would forestall
a N.C. congressional delegation bid to route I-73 through southeastern North Carolina
rather than northeastern South Carolina. The quicker South Carolina designates
a final route for the project, Graham said, the harder it will be for North Carolina
to grab more than its fair share of the project. The S.C. DOT apparently heeded
his words.
The route narrowing
may disappoint landowners and developers in southern Horry County and the Waccamaw
Neck. But a northern Horry County route for the project - especially a route that
connects with the already-completed S.C. 22 Veterans Highway - always made sense.
The county's Road Improvement Development Effort is paying for the S.C. 22 leg,
reducing the cost of the rest of the project between the state line near Cheraw
and the northwest end of S.C. 22 near Aynor. Such a route is mostly high ground
- meaning that environmental effects would be minimal. And the I-73 endpoint at
the S.C. 22-S.C. 31, Carolina Bays Parkway, interchange west of the waterway would
work equally well for tourism destinations in North Myrtle Beach and Little River,
and destinations in Myrtle Beach and southward.
So even though
some local folks hate to see the environmentalists win anything, this narrowing
of potential routes make good sense from a public-interest perspective. Congratulations
to the Coastal Conservation League and the S.C. DOT for crafting this intelligent
compromise.
Meanwhile, in Washington
...
Nothing will happen
on the S.C. portion of Interstate 73, of course, unless Congress passes a transportation
bill that includes some construction money for the $2 billion project. That's
looking more and more like a possibility - for two reasons:
The Bush administration
increased the dollar size of a transportation bill it would accept from $256 billion
to about $284 billion.
Not coincidentally,
House and Senate conferees who had stopped work on the bill for fear of a veto
from President Bush renewed negotiations on a $299 billion compromise bill this
week - $15 billion of which already has been appropriated. Do the math, and you
get $284 billion - the same amount Bush will countenance.
The trick now is
for the S.C. congressional delegation - especially S.C. Rep. Jim DeMint, R-Greenville,
who wants to move up to the Senate this year - to make certain that money for
I-73 through South Carolina stays in the bill. The consequences of failure could
be grim.
Posted:
July 23, 2004
Interstate
73 study area narrowed down
By Zane Wilson
The Sun News
COLUMBIA - The
study area for the route of Interstate 73 shrank by more than half Thursday to
avoid major environmental resources such as the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge.
The change was
prompted by concerns about the refuge and other river floodplains expressed by
federal agencies and organizations such as the Coastal Conservation League.
John Walsh, S.C.
Department of Transportation's project manager for I-73, said taking those areas
out of consideration removes the threat of holding up the project and allows the
agency and its consultants to work faster in a smaller area.
The environmental
studies and proposed route for I-73 are projected for completion in three years,
with construction to begin as soon afterward as possible.
I-73 is planned
to connect Detroit and Myrtle Beach, with a 90-mile leg in South Carolina that
will cost about $2 billion.
"We feel this is
a step in the right direction," said Nancy Cave, the Charleston-based conservation
league's north coast field representative. "This is much better news than what
it might have been."
The conservation
league said a year ago, after a feasibility study on I-73 was released, that the
wildlife refuge and other sensitive areas along the Great Pee Dee River basin
should be left out of the equation.
David Farren, an
attorney with the Chapel Hill, N.C.-based Southern Environmental Law Center, also
praised the move.
"I think that they
made a very important, positive step, but we're not out of the woods yet," Farren
said.
Walsh said the
change was proposed after Bob Lee, the Federal Highway Administration's S.C. manager,
and S.C. DOT Director Betty Mabry met with federal agency officials in Atlanta
last month.
Those groups included
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Agency, which manages national wildlife refuges and
did not want to see Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge disturbed if it could be
avoided.
"It was one of
their concerns, and we were trying to alleviate those concerns," Lee said.
The proposed study
area always starts out larger than it finishes, Lee said.
Walsh said the
DOT picked the study area because the agency thought it best matched the congressional
order on where the road should be.
He said he welcomes
the smaller area because "the limited resources we have will be more focused."
The DOT is spending
$3 million on the study, which is being conducted by consultants led by LPA Group
of Columbia.
The group also
did the environmental studies for Carolina Bays Parkway.
Cave and Farren
said their organizations will continue to monitor the road planning to ensure
it is environmentally sensitive.
"The feasibility
study was quite alarming," Farren said, because of suggested routes through the
refuge, as well as one that came to an end without connecting with any existing
roads.
The conservation
groups say such a route, to the south of U.S. 501, would create the need for another
new road that would cross the Waccamaw River. The Coastal Conservation League
and Southern Environmental Law Center want I-73 to connect with S.C. 22, also
known as the Conway Bypass.
That would save
taxpayers money, as well as time, in getting environmental permits, Farren said.
Walsh said the
next step for the road project is publishing an official notice in the Federal
Register of intent to study the route.
That should happen
within the month and, in about two months, meetings are expected to begin that
will consider agency and resident comments about what should be included in the
study.
Posted:
May 4, 2004
