Public meeting February 9 in Jasper County concerning proposed I-95 safety improvements
January 30, 2017
The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) has scheduled a public information meeting Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017, in Jasper County concerning proposed safety improvements along a portion of Interstate 95.
This particular project is federally funded and is an example of the types of improvements needed to improve safety and reduce traffic deaths and injuries on roads in rural South Carolina.
The meeting will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Ridgeland Baptist Church, 1448 Grays Highway, Ridgeland. The meeting will be informal, with concept plans and other information displayed for viewing. Informal written and verbal comments will be collected during the meeting.
The purpose of the project is to reduce the number of traffic fatalities and serious injuries along the I-95 corridor within Jasper County, a 33-mile section beginning at the Georgia/South Carolina state line (milepost 0) and continuing north to milepost 33. This project involves adding safety features to try to keep vehicles on the road and improving the clear zone, the unobstructed area beyond the edge of the roadway, to allow drivers to stop safely or regain control of a vehicle that leaves the traveled way. Improvement of the clear zone will require tree removal in various locations throughout the corridor, select placement of cable barrier, minor grading and the strategic placement of steel beam guardrail in select locations to protect wetlands areas and/or steep slopes. All work will take place within SCDOT’s right-of-way and no additional right-of-way will be required. This location was selected for improvement through the Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program, which uses a data-driven strategic approach to identify locations throughout the state with high crash rates or patterns.
The purpose of the public information meeting is to give attendees an opportunity to review and comment on the proposed concept plans. There will also be an opportunity to discuss safety of roads in rural areas throughout the state. Attendees are encouraged to review the various displays at the meeting and discuss your questions or concerns with any of the SCDOT representatives. Attendees are also encouraged to provide written comments on the forms that will be provided. Another purpose of the meeting will be to gather information from the public or any interested organization on historic or cultural resources in the area. Engineering and Environmental personnel from SCDOT will be available to answer questions.
More information is available on SCDOT’s website at http://www.scdot.org/inside/I95_Safe/default.aspx
For more information, the public may contact SCDOT Safety Projects Engineer Eric Hall at (803) 737-2083 in Columbia. Persons with disabilities who may require special accommodations should contact Betty Gray at (803) 737-1395.
