SCDOT holds public feedback meeting for safety improvements on Highway 17

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) –The South Carolina Department of Transporation is working to make a six-mile stretch of Highway 17 safer. This comes after officials have reported thousands of crashes in that area.

On the 6-mile stretch from Wappo Road to Hughes Road on highway 17. Over 25,00 car accident occurred, 30 involving pedestrians and 6 involving bicyclists. 18 of those accidents had fatalities over the 5-year period.

“I just see a lot of accidents as far as highways or intersections and someone in the middle lane is flying either not supposed to be there or are supposed to be there and that other person that is coming across doesn’t see them and there’s an accident or crash, I’ve seen plenty of them,” said Joshua Faulk, Charleston resident.

SCDOT is looking to add many safety elements. The most popular with residents at the meeting was to install raised medians between lanes to prevent future accidents.

“It would be amazing, just so people don’t keep trying to cross across that line I think it would reduce so many accidents I really do,” said Faulk.

Officials say many of the crashes happened when a driver was moving at an angle. So, the hope is with the concrete medians, crashes will be reduced.

“We’re looking in putting in concrete medias to prevent those two ways left turns there will be workarounds for traffic to make sure people can still get to what they need to go but we’re going to prevent those angles crashes,” said Ginny Jones, the SCDOT public involvement director.

Scdot is asking for the public’s feedback on what they would like to see in safety improvements.
They estimate the project will cost about 6 million dollars and will be federally funded.

“We want to know how people do use this road, where are you going on the crosswalks how often do you use it we want to make sure any improvements we make help enhance this road not make it worse but definitely make it safer,” said Jones.