A public meeting held Thursday by the South Carolina Department of Transportation at Mt. Canaan Baptist Church to discuss proposed improvements to U.S. 25 in Edgefield County drew a considerable crowd of interested citizens.

The proposed improvements consist of the widening from two lanes to four lanes of U.S. 25 from Secondary Road 429 (Brighthop Road) to S.C. 19 (Augusta Road). The meeting had a drop-in format, with a map and displays for viewing. SCDOT officials were on hand to answer questions and to discuss preliminary alignments and design for the proposed improvements. In addition, an opportunity was provided for citizens to make comments on the project’s impacts to Edgefield County and to offer suggestions.

The total project corridor is approximately seven miles in length and will be constructed in two phases, said Program Manager Rob Perry. Phase I will start at the present four-lane section and continue to the Industrial Park, a distance of approximately 4.5 miles. Phase II will continue from the end of Phase I  to the intersection of Highway 19 and Highway 121, a distance of 2.5 miles.

Mike Hanna, assistant district construction engineer, said right of way purchases will begin in late fall of this year and that two years have been built into the buying of property. Construction will start in late 2012, he said.

“We have funding for Phase I, but not Phase II at this point,” he said. “However, the environmental document is for the entire length and will be available to the public prior to a public hearing in late June.”

Hanna said the project was selected by the Upper Savannah Council of Governments to receive federal funding.

‘This was on a list of projects sent to them by the DOT Planning Office,” he said. “They do a study to determine whether a project is a needed one or not. They consider traffic counts and projected future growth. The commission approved it and it is considered a viable project.”

He said a lot of questions had been asked Thursday regarding the necessity of the project and if Phase II would ever be completed.

“We don’t have the funding now for Phase II,” he said. “All the money has been allocated through 2015, but it may be there in 2016.”

The question of the pecan trees came up Thursday, and Perry said the DOT is committed to saving the trees. Three alternates are being offered to avoid the trees and they were shown on a large aerial map.

“We’re not trying to do anything to affect them,’ said Perry.

Design manager Kevin Ulmer said all alternates are designed with safety first.
“All meet design standards,” he said. “With all said and done, all decisions are made with the need to reduce accidents in mind.”

Not everyone is happy with the proposed project.

“I hate it,” said Barbara Whitlock, who said the whole new lane is on her side of the road.
“I live on 25 and it will take up a big part of my property in front.”

Laura Linn said she regrets it for Barbara’s property, but she thinks the project is terrific.

“I’m thinking of the future,” she said. “I’ve gone through this up north, and you don’t try to bring business into the Industrial Park without having access. It will help the growth of the county.”