RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. — Residents and businesses along Atlas Road can expect significant changes as the Richland County Transportation Ad Hoc Committee has voted to award a construction contract for the road’s expansion. The project, aimed at alleviating traffic and improving infrastructure, is set to begin soon.
Atlas Road has become synonymous with busy traffic, and residents have noticed the need for improvements.
"Traffic... a lot of it... a lot of wrecks too," said Gabriel McNeil.
Richland County has taken a decisive step toward addressing these issues. During a Transportation Ad Hoc Committee meeting on Tuesday afternoon, a contractor was hired for the first phase of the Atlas Road widening project. McClam & Associates Inc. Construction Company from Newberry County was selected for the job.
The overall project will widen Atlas Road from Shop Road to Garners Ferry, eventually adding two driving lanes in each direction and a center lane, resulting in a total of five lanes. Additionally, the project will include five-foot bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides of the road.
"Two driving lanes in each direction, and a center lane for a total of 5 lanes, we're looking at five’ bike lanes on each side of the paved road and then five-foot sidewalks on each side of the road," said Mike Maloney, Director of Public Works & Transportation for Richland County.
"Traffic counts were conducted in the very beginning and have done nothing but grow so a lot of transportation is going on on Atlas Road between Garners Ferry and particularly Shop Road is the highest volume of traffic so that warranted having the five-lane road," Maloney added.
Phase 1A of the project will involve the construction of new sewer, and water, and the relocation of private utilities, laying the groundwork for the broader expansion effort. The next phase, 1B, will include the actual road construction.
This project will face the County Council at the end of August and then begin in October.
While the construction is a significant step forward, local businesses have mixed feelings. David McGill, co-owner of Jeffers-McGill, said, "We've never experienced something like this before, Of course, there is concern about how it will affect the traffic people getting to our location during the construction phase. But I think it's probably needed, and in the long run, puts more cars going by our business,".
The entire project is expected to take three years to complete, with the initial phases setting the foundation for future roadwork.
There will also be Phase 2 of the widening project which will include the section from Bluff Road to Shop Road. Those plans are being completed and are awaiting review by SCDOT.