WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. — Drivers in the Augusta Road area might be seeing increased construction. It's all due to the South Carolina Department of Transportation’s Augusta Road Safety Improvement Project.
“This project is to improve the safety of this corridor and part of US 1,” SCDOT's Hannah Robinson said.
Improvements will include raised medians, updated traffic signal timing and improved sidewalks.
SCDOT said this area was identified as a high crash area. According to data from the department, there have been more than 1000 crashes on this road. , resulting in 278 injuries.
"We had a study from 2011 to 2014 that showed that there were a lot of accidents in the area and there were even three fatal accidents in that time range," Robinson said. "We were able to complete a road safety audit on the area and determined that we were going to do some safety improvements that would help keep the public safe."
Funded by federal dollars, work in this area started back in October, costing just over $9 million.
Improvements will be in the area of US 1 Augusta Road from Wren Road to SC 12 Jarvis Klapman Boulevard.
“It really is just focusing on the key safety elements for the area. we really hope that the end product is a safer area for people to drive through, and keeping traffic flowing through the area,” Robinson said.
SCDOT reminds drivers in the area to be alert when driving in construction zones
“We appreciate the public's patience as we work in this area. If you see our crews just slow down and pay attention to them. We definitely want everyone to go home safe at the end of the day, so if you'd just slow down and pay attention to signs and crews,” Robinson said.
SCDOT says this road project is set to be finished the spring of next year.
