COLUMBIA, S.C. — A project to alleviate traffic on Leesburg Road in Lower Richland has begun after more than a decade of planning.
The project will widen Leesburg Road from Patricia Drive to Lower Richland Boulevard by providing two travel lanes in each direction and also a paved median. In February crews started clearing trees along the four-mile stretch of road including within Fort Jackson.
The project also involves constructing a sidewalk along the road and a new bridge over Mill Creek. The bridge will be built in two phases with the left/Fort Jackson side being completed first.
The Richland County Transportation Penny Tax Program is funding $4 million towards the estimated $47 million construction contract. The S.C. Department of Transportation (SCDOT) and Columbia Area Transportation Study (COATS) Metropolitan Planning Organization are funding all remaining costs.
Olivia Brown lives on Leesburg Road and has watched the construction from her front porch. She said crews knocked down about 6 trees in her front yard.
“My concern is it's coming closer to the house than I anticipated," Brown said.
“That's the only thing that sounds good out of this whole thing is just getting it where traffic can move and people can get to and from work or wherever they need to go," Brown said.
Lower Richland resident Maria Hamlin said she avoids taking Leesburg Road altogether.
“Widening the road would be great - give a little bit more room for people to travel and everything," Hamlin said.
Richland County Council Member Chakisse Newton represents residents in the area. She said she receives numerous complaints about traffic and safety on Leesburg Road.
“If you go down Leesburg Road right now, think about it from a pedestrian perspective. It's pretty unsafe," Newton said. “We're hoping that people will be able to appreciate the widened road and the safety benefits that they get from that."
After clearing and grubbing, a 4‐month utility window will begin to allow utility companies an uninterrupted time to relocate facilities that are in conflict with the project.
SCDOT said it is expected to take two years to complete the construction of the left side of Leesburg Road. Once the left side of the project is complete, traffic will switch to this side while construction is being completed on the right side.
According to SCDOT, the project is expected to be complete by October 2025.
SCDOT said the project is a part of its 10‐Year Plan to rebuild the state’s roads and bridges.