IRMO, S.C. — Traffic along Broad River Road could soon come to end. That’s after Irmo mayor Barry Walker proposed a road expansion project. He wants to take the road, which is currently three lanes wide, and expand it to five lanes. The mayor said he has been waiting for this for about ten years and thinks it will be a great help to traffic in the area.
“Basically, it's a three lane road now, but the number of homes that have been built up in that area has increased the traffic going to Ballentine tremendously," Barry Walker, Irmo mayor said.
Originally, Richland County agreed to the project, but the funding was prioritized in other areas and the road has remained at three lanes. Walker asked for change again.
“As the mayor, I went and lobbied the council and the Richland county transportation committee to ask them to rescope the project back to five lanes.”
The county and their transportation committee has reapproved five lanes, but Mayor Walker said he and his team are in the dark when it comes to progress being made. He's hoping that a special council meeting will change that.
“Tonight in the special meeting, I want to pen a letter from the council, rather a strong letter from the council saying that we want them, the county council to continue on with the project and to give us some assurances that the project is still going forward and assurances of where they are," Walker said.
That meeting takes place tonight at 7 p.m. at the municipal building on Woodrow street. Council encourages you to attend.