Latest on I-73

[whitehourseview]

I-73 was Strom Thurmond's baby.

When he came into office, Senator Demint indicated support for it, but it's been on the back burner for his office.

It's a slow moving project with out a lot of support outside between Ohio and Myrtle Beach.

I think the original idea of a highway connecting I-95 to Myrtle Beach was fine, or even connecting I-20 to the coast, maybe even to the Georgetown port, would have been fine, but I just don't see a lot of politcal will in various state's for this thing, nor in Washington.

[Charleston native]

There is not a lot of political will in SC for common sense upgrades to the highways. Many people have already commented on how I-73 will encourage "sprawl"...this is something city governments need to crack down on with zoning! The "sprawl" is still being built wiithout this interstate...same thing with my hometown. In a growing area where many people want to live (high demand), "sprawl" will continue to be built, regardless if there's another interstate. Unfortunately, this makes things very difficult when it comes time to evacuate during hurricane season.

Instead of being proactive, this state and its cities are being very reactive.

[monsoon]

Unfortunately, this makes things very difficult when it comes time to evacuate during hurricane season.

Instead of being proactive, this state and its cities are being very reactive.

And that is the topic of another thread entirely, the encouragement of people to move into a hurricane zone. With water levels rising, storms getting stronger and automobile based sprawl spreading across the coastal areas of SC, it is a timebomb that is going to explode when the next major hurricane hits the coast.

[krazeeboi]

^Unfortunately, methinks you are right. Personally, I'm a little on edge concerning this year's hurricane season.

[davidals]

I'm all for less congestion, less sprawl, and mass transit but I don't see a passenger train system working here unless it is connected to cities in the North. Myrtle Beach is a major tourist attraction with most visitors coming from the north (all you see is Ohio license plates). This road is needed for this purpose, evacuation, and it will bring jobs to an area with the highest unemployment rate in the state. Make it a toll road and let the tourists pay for it.

Glad to see that they selected a reasonably direct alignment.

Elsewhere, North of Roanoke VA, I'll believe it when I see it. Which may be as it should be - an I-81-to-Grand Strand route would still be (as planned) quite direct and would serve a good bit of the original purpose. The proposed, indirect routes north of Roanoke (I've said it before) look like they were planned by a 3-year-old, and given the relative apathy aimed at this road by transportation folks in KY, OH and MI, someone else thinks so as well. Interstates are expensive, and there's no guarantee that they will do anything beyond incubating truck stops and fast-food joints - if they aren't efficient and effective (in other words, direct), they are a big, big waste.

[Jerseyman4]

I-73/74 is useful for Midwesterners but for the Northeast, I-95/US 264/US 117(when finished)/I-40/I-140(when finished)/US 17 is the logical way to get to the Grand Strand. Then theres SC 38/US 501 from I-95 where you can be in a bottleneck hell between Conway and 17 Bypass during the summer months if your travels take you to the strip and the pavillion.