Public hearing Tuesday, Jan. 17, in Chapin concerning the Columbia Avenue Corridor Improvement Project

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) has scheduled a public hearing Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017, in Chapin concerning the S-48 (Columbia Avenue) Corridor Improvement Project.

The hearing will be between 5 and 7 p.m. at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, 195 Amicks Ferry Rd, Chapin.

SCDOT, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Lexington County plan to make improvements to the S-48 (Columbia Avenue) Corridor to provide traffic congestion relief from the I-26 and S-48 interchange to the S-48 / S-51 (Amicks Ferry Road) / US 76 (Chapin Road) intersection in downtown Chapin.  These improvements include roadway widening, new location roadway, pedestrian and bicycle facilities, intersection and overall safety improvements and a new interchange.  During construction of this project, existing facilities will remain open to traffic. This project is funded through SCDOT’s Statewide Transportation Improvement Program for Lexington County.

From 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., the hearing format will be informal where guests are welcome to view maps, visualization renderings, project displays and other information related to the proposed project.  Project team members from SCDOT, FHWA, and Lexington County will be available during this period to help answer questions.  The formal portion of the hearing will begin at 6 p.m. with a project presentation and a formal public comment period.  Citizens who would like to make a formal public comment should sign up to speak between 5 p.m. and 5:55 p.m. as they enter the hearing.  Following the project presentation, each speaker who signed up will be allotted two (2) minutes to speak.  The speaker’s time is not transferable to another person.  From the end of the project presentation and formal comment period until 7 p.m., the formal will again be informal.  Written comments will also be collected at all times during the hearing.

The purpose of the hearing is to review, discuss, and provide information concerning the proposed corridor improvements and to solicit input from area residents.  Another purpose of the hearing is to gather information from the public, or any interested organization, regarding historic or cultural resources in the area.  Engineering, Right-of-Way, and Environmental personnel will be available before and after the formal portion to discuss the project with interested citizens on an individual basis. Residents of the Town of Chapin and surrounding areas are requested to attend and ask questions and provide comments regarding the possible social, economic and environmental effects of the project.

A hard copy of the environmental document will be available for public review at least 15 days before and after the public hearing at the SCDOT’s Central Office at 955 Park St. in Columbia, Lexington County Public Works at 440 Ball Park Road in Lexington, and the Chapin Branch Library at 129 Columbia Ave. in Chapin.  The information is also available athttp://www.scdot.org/inside/public_hearings.aspx. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Lexington County Project Manager Jeff McNesby at (803) 785-8593.  Persons with disabilities who may require special accommodations to attend the Hearing should contact Betty Gray, SCDOT Environmental Services Office Manager at (803) 737-1395.