TRAVELERS REST, S.C. (WSPA) — The City of Travelers Rest is preparing to begin a multimillion dollar renovation of a section of Poinsett Highway.
The city plans to renovate the section from Hawkins Street to Center Street. It is estimated to cost the city $9.2 million.
“The opportunity at hand is to go from a linear one street Main Street to a geometric central business district encouraging commerce that’s supported by the already existing residential areas,” Shannon Herman, the city administrator of Travelers Rest, said.
The city plans to rebuild and repave the road, add lighting and pedestrian crossings, make stormwater improvements and build a multimodal path for people to walk and bike.
“It’ll be separated from traffic with a grass buffer,” Herman said. “There will be an additional sidewalk for pedestrians on the opposing side.”
The intersection of Poinsett Highway and Tubbs Mountain Road will see some of the biggest improvements.
“It will have pedestrian signalization timed and lighting in order to allow the correct traffic flow,” Herman said. “Currently, it’s not lit. It is a dangerous section of the road. The road, actually in the last decade, there have been almost 300 collisions.”
The project is years in the making. Herman said city leaders have been planning it for nearly 10 years.
“I think once it’s finished, it’s going to make the city a more inviting place,” Tim Dover said.
Dover owns a business along Poinsett Highway and worries construction could prevent customers from reaching his store.
“There’s going to a little bit of congested traffic, and it’s happening during the holiday season,” Dover said. “That’s always a concern.”
“We’re going to ensure there’s at least one lane of traffic flowing at all times so that we don’t become a barrier to commerce,” Herman said.
While construction may cause some temporary headaches, the city is hopeful the project will boost the city’s downtown.
“I think the economic development that will result from this will be really positive for the city of Travelers Rest,” Herman said. “I think it creates more livable conditions and expands the opportunity for commerce, investment and tourism.”
Construction is expected to begin in two weeks and is anticipated to take about a year to complete.