Roads update: County requests federal funds for corridor improvement; bridge deemed unsafe
Road and traffic safety work, which is part of Spartanburg County’s long-term plans and funded by the capital penny tax and county safety action plan, is in the early stages.
County Administrator Cole Alverson told county council members this week that resurfacing the section of North Daniel Morgan Avenue that wraps behind the newly constructed courthouse is one of the first two capital penny roads initiatives to begin. The other is over four miles of Moore Duncan Highway, from near James F. Byrnes High School in Duncan to Reidville Road.
County spokesperson Scottie Kay Blackwell told the Herald-Journal that the bid for those two projects is a combined $5 million, less than the original budget, which was almost a combined $11 million. A construction meeting to determine a timeline for the work is planned for the week of May 27. The collection of funds under the tax began on May 1.
Meanwhile, the county has applied for $20 million in federal funding for two key “corridor” projects. Travis Brown, the county's director of public works, called the North Pine Street and Asheville Highway corridors “gateways” into the community.
The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) also shut down a Spartanburg County bridge this week after deeming it unsafe.
County applies for federal funds
The county is asking for $20 million in federal funding from a program within the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which allocates $1.2 trillion nationally to transportation and infrastructure spending.
Part of the bill, signed into law by President Joe Biden in November 2021, established the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) discretionary program with $5 billion in appropriated funds to be spread over 2022-2026. Brown said that with over $3 billion still available for funding rounds, the county determined the two “gateways” into Spartanburg needed improvement.
If approved for the funding, the county will match with $4 million, 20% of the requested federal funds, Brown said. He hopes the county will find out if they were approved by the end of 2024.
The North Pine Street corridor stretches from East Main Street to Highway 221. According to data provided by the county, more than 41,600 vehicles travel the road each day. The Asheville Highway corridor extends from Highway 221 to Hearon Circle, accommodating over 11,600 vehicles daily.
According to data presented to the county council on April 25, there were 1,484 crashes on the two corridors from 2017 to 2021, 14 of which resulted in fatal or severe injuries.
“We believe that the two projects will not only improve safety and save lives but are catalysts for future safety improvements throughout the county,” Brown said.
If the county receives the grant funding, Brown said it will also be used for public safety educational campaigns and yet-to-be-identified spot safety projects.
Roads projects previewed
Alverson reminded the council at the meeting Monday that while penny sales tax collections officially started May 1, the county likely will not see any of that revenue until about October. However, advanced funding authorized by the council will allow work on the projects to commence.
The first two projects are resurfacing the stretches of Moore Duncan Highway from North Danzler Road in Duncan to Reidville Road and North Daniel Morgan Avenue behind the newly built county courthouse, from North Church Street to West St. John Street.
County voters approved the roads-oriented referendum in November. The previous six-year penny sales tax, which passed in 2017, funded the new courthouse, municipal police building, and yet-to-be-built joint city-county government complex.
More: Spartanburg County Council finalizes penny sales tax for roads. What you need to know.
The North Daniel Morgan repairs are less than a half mile of road, but approximately 1.44 miles of lane. The Moore Duncan Hwy project is estimated to require about 22 miles of lane repair.
The projects were recently bid on and awarded to Reeves Construction Company. Blackwell said a pre-construction meeting will take place next week when setting a timeline and preparing the construction site, will commence.
“While that is happening, all the design work, the engineering, right away acquisition for our longer lead time, more intensive projects continue to be ongoing,” Alverson said at the May 20 council meeting.
"Highest priority" capital penny projects
Almost $61 million, 12.7% of the $478 million capital penny project, is dedicated to “Tier 1” projects, which are considered the highest priority in terms of funding. Over $50 million of the Tier 1 money is dedicated to asphalt pavement improvement, and more than half of that is allotted to a handful of SCDOT-partnered projects.
Blackwell said that the priority ranking does not mean lower-tiered projects are less worthwhile, but noted projects were tiered by market availability of products and labor, time needed for completion and a desire to improve high-volume roads early on.
The Moore Duncan Highway project stretches about five miles from North Danzler Road to Reidville Road. In initial estimates by the county, the construction is technically split into two separate projects on either end of a small gap in the middle that passes over exit 63 of I-85, from McAuley Road to Rogers Bridge Road. That portion is already under construction as part of a different project, Blackwell said.
Here’s a breakdown of the other Tier 1 projects:
Reidville Road (Moore Duncan Hwy/Hwy 290 to Southport Rd./SC-295) - $13,953,115
Miles: 5.46
Approx. lane miles: 27.3
East Main Street in the City of Spartanburg (N. Converse St. to Hwy 29) - $1,375,468
Miles: 0.62
Approx lane miles: 2.48
West Main Street (W. St John St. To St. John St.) - $623,150
Miles: 0.3
Approx. lane miles: 0.9
St. John Street (W. Main St. to W. St John. St.) - $266,200
Miles: 0.1
Approx. lane miles: 0.3
Spartanburg County bridge shut down for safety reasons
On Wednesday, SCDOT shut down a bridge on Cannons Campground Road after it was deemed unsafe for travel. The state said it is mobilizing crews to “conduct further inspections” and develop an expedited repair plan.
SCDOT advised drivers to avoid the area if possible. The agency also added that a section of Cannons Campground Road in Cherokee County near I-85, which is already temporarily closed for roadway improvements as part of the widening of I-85, is anticipated to reopen later this week.
Chalmers Rogland covers public safety for the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, Greenville News and USA Today Network. Reach him via email at crogland@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Spartanburg roads update: resurfacing and safety improvements planned
