U.S. 17 in between Beaufort and Charleston

[Spartan]

Welcome to UP! We're glad to have you on board!

[digital_sandlapper]

Thanks krazeeboi, Jerseyman4, and Spartan! I appreciate the nice welcome, and look forward to contributing when I can.

[CID2005]

Thanks krazeeboi, Jerseyman4, and Spartan! I appreciate the nice welcome, and look forward to contributing when I can.

Let me introduce myself I am very familiar with US HWY 17 my son COOPER GASQUE was killed in a wreck

on JAN. 17, 2004 on US 17.

The SCDOT is waiting on federal permits and funding.

The SCDOT is waiting for money from the State Infustructure Bank.

I met with about 50 people last monday who live in the area of the road widening and are willing to give up

right of way area but not the buffers strip.

These people are for the widening because most of them have had love ones killed or hurt on US 17.

I have spoke with many family menbers of people who have been hurt or killed on this hwy and

there reaction is usually the same" why haven't something been done".

I would like to thank you all for talking about it to keep it in the pulbic view because a lot of people

think that the road will be widen but in 1992 we thought the road would be widen only to find out it was not.

THE SAME ARGUEMENTS ARE BEING USE TODAY AS THEY WERE IN 1992.

If you all are interested I have a lot of information an stay in constant touch with the SCDOT and GOVT.

I only want US HWY 17 SAFE for everyone to use.

thanks

david

[krazeeboi]

CID2005, I am very sorry for your loss. We appreciate you voicing your concerns and sharing with us.

At some point, we simply need to realize that while environmental concerns are important, PEOPLE ARE DYING. It's already bad enough that this state has the most underfunded DOT in the nation. I'm not familiar with Highway 17, but just the fact that too many people are dying along this stretch sends a signal: WIDEN IT!

[Charleston native]

CID2005, I also am very sorry for your loss. Thank you for coming here and posting what you know about this project. I also feel very humbled in seeing that people like yourself who are personally involved with this US 17 project have seen what we've talked about for this highway. We want to help foster important change like this.

My reaction for the SCDOT's slow process with widening this road is the same, "Why hasn't something been done?" I understand that in some cases, we need to consider the environmental issues, but this highway is affecting human life. It is imperative that it be widened to create a safer highway, the only major southern highway connecting Chas and Beaufort to I-95, I might add.

I grew up in Chas and made many trips to Georgia and Florida by traveling this way. I know all too well the perils of driving on that stretch of the highway, especially at night. It was the most stressful time of my trips, yes, more stressful than driving in Orlando or Miami! I also thought it would be widened in 1992, but it was so discouraging and aggravating for the project too stall. As a Citadel grad, I knew many cadets and students from the other area universities that used US 17 to go home for the holidays. A couple of years ago, a cadet and C of C student were killed on that section of the highway. This has got to stop!!

People such as Dana Beach from the CCL and other environmentalists and preservationists need to keep their opinions and calls for more impact studies to themselves! It is their actions that stalled the highway widening 15 years ago!!!

Wow, Mr. Gasque, I did some reading of some of my earlier posts about this subject, and I realized that I quoted you when the paper interviewed you about your son. Sir, I stand by what I said about your quote; it says it all. Please know that I support you 100%!

[Jerseyman4]

CID2005, I also am very sorry for your loss. Thank you for coming here and posting what you know about this project. I also feel very humbled in seeing that people like yourself who are personally involved with this US 17 project have seen what we've talked about for this highway. We want to help foster important change like this.

Same here

[CID2005]

Same here

TO CHARESTON NATIVE

IT WAS MY SON COOPER WHO WAS A JUNIOR AT EL CID ALONG WITH KASSANDRA LEEK A JUNIOR AT C OF C WHO BOTH LIVE IN BEAUFORT AND OUR STORY WAS FEATURED ON NBC DATE LINE AND WE

ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO GET THIS WIDENING DONE.

THE PLANS ARE DONE AND WAITING ON INFUSTRUCTRUE BANK TO VOTE.

WALLACE SCARBOROUGH AND CATHRINE CEIPS HAVE BEEN A GREAT HELP.

THANKS

DAVID

[Charleston native]

TO CHARESTON NATIVE

IT WAS MY SON COOPER WHO WAS A JUNIOR AT EL CID ALONG WITH KASSANDRA LEEK A JUNIOR AT C OF C WHO BOTH LIVE IN BEAUFORT AND OUR STORY WAS FEATURED ON NBC DATE LINE AND WE

ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO GET THIS WIDENING DONE.

THE PLANS ARE DONE AND WAITING ON INFUSTRUCTRUE BANK TO VOTE.

WALLACE SCARBOROUGH AND CATHRINE CEIPS HAVE BEEN A GREAT HELP.

THANKS

DAVID

I apologize for not putting two and two together. The story of these 2 kids was just heartbreaking, and it just infuriated me knowing that it probably would not have happened if US 17 had been widened! As far as writing our state reps and the governor, are there any other individuals that we could write to? Who should we contact with the SCDOT? Is there anything else we can do to ensure this highway gets widened without anymore problems?

[Charleston native]

This needs to be bumped...especially with the responses that were received recently. The more we talk about it, the more visibility this issue gets. Let's not forget what needs to be done: widen this road!

[Charleston native]

Good news is becoming hard to come by lately, but this is very encouraging. US 17 is evidently on track to be widened. My cynical side of me says that this project is way behind schedule, since it should have been done a decade ago, but I'll set that aside. Once this project is completed, US 17 will finally be a safe, quicker route to US 17. SC transportation officials hope to have the permits this summer to for the project, though it's unclear whether money for the $173 million project will be accessible. The FHA approved plans for US 17, meaning no lengthy environmental impact analysis is needed.

US 17 Widening Plan On Track

[krazeeboi]

Thank God!!!

[Jerseyman4]

Horry County wants money to complete the Carolina Bays Parkway. In Charleston County, there are requests for an access road to a proposed State Ports Authority terminal, money to finish the Mark Clark Expressway and to relieve congestion on busy U.S. 17 though Mount Pleasant.

The US 17 widening through Colleton County is more important than the other projects listed. As Chas. Native said, this piece of US 17 is overdue for widening.

Dont mean to go off-topic but the Carolina Bays Parkway (SC 31) does not need to end at teh Georgetown/Horry county line. It needs to be extended to Georgetown but build spur 4 lane expressways back to the beach throughout Georgetown County like Grissom Parkway.

[Spartan]

The EPA requires that an invironmental impact study be completed for any project like this. Most likely they have already completed it. I am glad that they are finally moving forward with this project.

[Charleston native]

...The US 17 widening through Colleton County is more important than the other projects listed. As Chas. Native said, this piece of US 17 is overdue for widening.

Dont mean to go off-topic but the Carolina Bays Parkway (SC 31) does not need to end at teh Georgetown/Horry county line. It needs to be extended to Georgetown but build spur 4 lane expressways back to the beach throughout Georgetown County like Grissom Parkway.

Absolutely, Jerseyman. Although I sincerely desire the Mark Clark to be completed and the SPA road to be built, US 17 has the highest priority due to the loss of life having occurred on this stretch of it. There is no question about it.

I also agree with Carolina Bays Parkway being extended. It really should go straight to Georgetown and end at US 17 there.

[krazeeboi]

The latest in the U.S. 17 widening project.

[Jerseyman4]

Recently when i was down in Charleston, i took a drive along Rifle Range Road through the Six and Seven Mile communities. It was really something that there are so many condos & single family home developments surrounding these long-time african american communities. As the property values start to go up and up, the people who live in these communities will eventually be priced out of their homes for newer development. The area along SC 41 between US 17 and Clements Ferry Road in Cainhoy is another area of concern as well.

[krazeeboi]

I commented on a situation like that in Mt. Pleasant in the Charleston subforum. In that case, it is the basketweaving culture that is being threatened. Developers are allowed to go on free-for-alls in the name of a quick buck.

[CID2005]

I commented on a situation like that in Mt. Pleasant in the Charleston subforum. In that case, it is the basketweaving culture that is being threatened. Developers are allowed to go on free-for-alls in the name of a quick buck.

Still waiting on infrustruture bank to vote on the monies for widen of U. S. HWY 17 between Jacksonboro and

Gardens Corner.

The bridge is being built because the old one was set to be condem to truck traffic do to struture issues.

I am somewhat concerned because of the lack of attention lately.

[Jerseyman4]

The bridge is being built because the old one was set to be condem to truck traffic do to struture issues.

I am somewhat concerned because of the lack of attention lately.

I noticed the construction out there, im wondering if they'll build a bridge or two bridges to prepare for the inevitable US 17 widening out in Colleton County.

Oh another thing, they LOWERED the speed limit to 50 along the two lane stretch!

I love SCDOT of how backwards they can be sometimes. Since i was driving on a sunday, the sunday drivers went 40-45mph with no traffic infront of them AND restriped the damn road to a double line! Dont ya think this will make the road even more dangerous due to driver frustration?????

[Spartan]

they lower the speed limit for your safety and the workers... this beinb the most dangerous stretch of road in the state and all...

[BrasilnSC]

And the double yellow lines will also keep motorists and workers safe, we all know how dangerous it is to pass on a two lane highway.

[Jerseyman4]

And the double yellow lines will also keep motorists and workers safe, we all know how dangerous it is to pass on a two lane highway.

I meant to say, the entire 2 lane stretch of US 17 is 50mph, i am not talking about the construction zone! I dont think it is dangerous to pass on a 2 lane highway if common sense and no hesistation were both applied. The double lines are a joke in areas where you have excellent sight distance. Improvements have been made along the 2 lane US 17 such as resurfacing the road (they also widenened the travel lanes), improved signage and cutting the trees down for improved visability. Lowering speed limits have been proven to increase driver frustration and decrease safety. Theres no excuse for 50mph and this is only going to the make highway even more dangerous.

[BrasilnSC]

I thought you were talking about a work zone. But, perhaps they are doing this because work will start soon. I don't know. Those improvements definitely make that stretch of road safer though. Looks to me like they want to desperately avoid another fatality there.

[Charleston native]

But to avoid a fatality, how does it make sense to increase driver frustration? This could make another death a reality on this road. Jerseyman, I agree, this makes absolutely no sense. If they have this limit in place along the whole section, but they're still waiting for funds according to CID2005, this shows complete idiocy on the behalf of SCDOT.

I am concerned about the lack of attention as well. I almost feel that if the publicity dies down, the government will move on to other issues.

[Spartan]

Slower speeds are always safer, no matter how frustrating it is to the driver.