Hoping to turn the controversial I-73 project into an issue in the GOP presidential primaries, the South Carolina steering committee for a national group is calling on Republican candidates campaigning in South Carolina to support spending $2.4 billion on I-73. The committee, comprised in part of well-known backers of I-73, is staging a press conference in Myrtle Beach today.
Organizations against I-73 point out that the project is a boondoggle, and that federal and state funds would be much better spent on fixing the state’s roads and bridges which are deteriorating. South Carolina had the 2nd highest number of road fatalities in 2011.
Last year, Building America’s Future released a report, Falling Apart and Falling Behind, which found that economic growth is dependent on repairing and maintaining the country’s crumbling transportation network.
One third of South Carolina’s roads are in poor or mediocre condition and over 3,000 bridges range from substandard to functionally obsolete, according to the South Carolina Department of Transportation. The state has a 20-year backlog of maintenance needs and no comprehensive plan to address it. Maintaining the road system will facilitate agricultural and business growth, and create jobs now, whereas jobs generated by the proposed I-73 will be 20 years from now.
“Calling on Republican presidential candidates to support a multi-billion dollar interstate in South Carolina when the citizens of this state have voted for candidates who support fiscal conservatism is asking them to commit political suicide,” said, Nancy Cave, North Coast Office Director, Coastal Conservation League.
“Maintaining South Carolina’s roads should be our priority not building a multi-billion dollar interstate, when there is an alternative that accomplishes the same purpose for significantly less money,” said, David Farren, Senior Attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center.
A study prepared by a transportation engineer, Smart Mobility, has concluded that upgrading one of the existing highways, SC 38/ US 501, to Myrtle Beach could accomplish the same purpose for one tenth the cost. Myrtle Beach project proponents and the SCDOT have refused to consider this approach.
I-73 would cross important natural areas and constitute the largest loss of wetlands in modern state history. It would dislocate residents, fragment properties and put people out of work who run tourist-oriented businesses along the existing highways to Myrtle Beach. Based on the negative impacts, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is considering vetoing the necessary permits for the project.
“It is out of step with South Carolina core values to promote spending billions of dollars on an interstate that has no demonstrated need, no prospect of permits and is unlikely to provide any real economic benefits that could not be achieved at a fraction of the cost of a $2.4 billion dollar interstate,” said Cave.
“Building America’s Future supports good infrastructure policy. I-73 lacks the economic, environmental and social attributes that make good policy.”
Contact:
Nancy Cave David Farren
Coastal Conservation League Southern Environmental Law Center
843-545-0403, 843-240-7995 (cell) 919-967-1450, 919-444-8717
nancyc@scccl.org dfarren@selcnc.org
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By moedog January 13, 2012 at 9:20 am
What a joke. If Willie and his friends are successful in stopping I-73, it will just be one more victory for those fighting to keep SC out of the 21st century.
By Sarah Nuckles January 13, 2012 at 10:22 am
I CHALLENGE EVERYONE: Look at a map of the I-73 route from I-95 to its end point at the Conway Bypass. Then think – WHERE are the congestion and back-ups for tourists (and residents) trying to get to Myrtle Beach? Answer: They are on US 501 from just past Aynor down to Myrtle Beach. I-73 will NOT do anything to help that situation. The only thing it will do is get you to NORTH Myrtle Beach and heading toward NC. And, since there is an EXISTING route (SC 38/US 501) from I-95 about 6-7 miles south of the proposed I-73 route – a four-lane divided highway, with NO stops until you get to Aynor, why do you need I-73 which does the same thing? And – you can go an average of 60-65 mph (or faster if you have a lead foot). Imagine how angry folks will be when they realize this?
On top of the waste of money for I-73, the Horry folks are planning to widen US 521, US 378, and SC 9 into Horry County, probably another billion dollars or so of taxpayer dollars.
Just how many roads does it take to get to Horry? Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce officials and pro I-73 supporters state that Horry “deserves” I-73 because its tourism contributes more to the State’s tax coffers than any other industry. BACK UP – I believe they are around 5th or 6th – NOT #1. I believe that manufacturing and industrial and tourism in other parts of the state are greater and provide more stable jobs.
Has anyone counted how many “tourists” to Myrtle are SC residents who would have spent there money in some part of the State anyhow??
Maybe what the MBACC and Horry really want is its own DOT – because they are the “independent republic of Horry”. They don’t appear to be concerned about the huge crumbling infrastructure needs of the rest of the state. AND, they received the largest share of State Infrastructure Bank funds and matching SCDOT funds over the past 15 years – hundreds of millions – while their elected officials complain the rest of the State doesn’t care about Horry and the Pee Dee.
Good strategy – it has worked to obtain sympathy and lots of taxpayer dollars. THE JIG IS UP!! The facts tell the story. “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time. Abraham Lincoln, (attributed)
Sarah Nuckles, SCDOT Commissioner – Fifth Congressional District (803) 327-8911
By mohanna January 13, 2012 at 11:31 am
You go Girl!!!
By tomstickler January 13, 2012 at 4:44 pm
We may be making some small progress against I-73. Despite Brad Dean and Alan Clemmons repeating the claim that I-73 would produce 29,000 new jobs, Dean did acknowledge that the study predicting those results had been criticized (that would be me,) but it would still be worth it if the new jobs were only half that.
After the press conference, I asked Dean if he thought it would still be worth it if the true calculation of new jobs would only be a quarter of the number predicted, since my calculations indicate that the Chmura report is off by about 400%. Dean reiterated his complete faith in the Chmura report and reassured me that he respected my “opinion.”
Somehow, I am not flattered.
By tomstickler January 13, 2012 at 4:51 pm
On top of everything else, Brad Dean, who claims to live on the “South Strand” said that all he has to do is take SC31 north to SC22, then north-west to I-73, and he has avoided Conway.
That may be true, but it would be a waste of time and gasoline except in the event of a major hurricane evacuation, and even then, just getting onto SC31, then SC22 would be a huge bottleneck. Just look at a map to see what a waste of time this route would be at any other time.
Sorry, I-73 is no solution to Grand Strand hurricane evacuation problems.
By Cecelia Cook January 13, 2012 at 6:48 pm
This isn’t being planned as an Emergency Evacuation Route! It’s being pushed as “faster way for the visitors to get to Myrtle Beach” — I think I read earlier on that if I-73 does get constructed, it may save 5-8 minutes! That’s a lot of money folks for a savings of the small amount of time. You want to pay for it? I don’t either Cecelia Cook
By Tracy Ann January 14, 2012 at 2:46 am
Drive down Business 17 in Myrtle Beach just between Mr. Joe White heading South to just before the new back entrance to the airport. Then drive down it everyday. I think tourists would rather know that the crowning in the road is going to get fixed before it rips an axle off their vehicle versus construction of I-73 which doesn’t help the traffic back up into the Beach whatsoever.
The roads around the Grand Strand wreak major havoc on our vehicles. I’m not sure what it will take to convince the I-73 supporters that their plan sucks. Are they even from around here? Backwards thinking like this can’t be good for the image of South Carolina which already has an uphill battle to prove the stereotypes of inbreeding aren’t true.
By Strom solution January 14, 2012 at 8:08 am
Is Nelson Hardwick a Democrat? This seems like a road Jim Clyburn would build.
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