Vital Intersection Projects Completed

At a special called meeting Tuesday, July 9, Richland County Council provided a forum for residents to give their input on a newly proposed Transportation Sales Tax referendum.

Residents from across the County arrived early to sign in and take a seat in Council Chambers, which eventually filled to capacity. More than 25 residents signed up to speak during the public hearing, with an additional four emailed comments read aloud for the record.

The comments ranged from praise for work completed through the current Transportation Penny program and support for the new referendum, to disappointment about how the program was implemented in 2012, to suggestions on better ways to manage project equity across County districts.

A majority of residents voiced their support for a new referendum to continue the positive impacts on transportation, safety, accessibility, economic growth and quality of life the Penny has made possible.

The public hearing came in advance of County Council’s next regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday, July 16. During this meeting, Council will give the referendum a third and final reading and vote on whether it will appear on the ballot in the November elections.

Stay informed. All Council meetings are streamed live on Richland County’s YouTube Channel.

Blythewood Road Widening
The project was paused for about two months to allow AT&T to relocate fiber lines in order for storm drain work to be completed, which had to occur before the road could be paved. AT&T has finished the majority of this work. Transportation contractors were able to return to work about two weeks ago.

Sunset Drive Sidewalk Construction
The original closure was scheduled for May 28, 2024, through Nov. 28, 2024. The contractor did not want to leave the roadway closed for such a long period, however, so intermediate closures were implemented. Sunset Drive is currently closed and will be opened on July 15, 2024, for a period of 30 days. After that period, the road will be closed for an undisclosed amount of time.

Alpine Road Resurfacing and Sidewalk Improvement
Construction is on schedule and currently at 65 percent completion. Resurfacing and paving should begin in late July 2024 and is expected to be completed in September or October 2024.

Atlas Road Widening
Transportation will make a recommendation for awarding the Atlas Road Widening Project, Phase 1A, to County Council at its regular August meeting. The bid totaled $8,612,274, or $2,052,449 less than the engineer’s estimate of $10,664,723. Staff anticipates construction to start in September.

Smith-Rocky Branch Greenway
Plans for this project are at 95 percent completion and are free and clear as far as Norfolk Southern (NS) is concerned. The last round of reviews by NS (last month) noted a few minor modifications to the design, all of which have been incorporated in the 95 percent-completed plans.

Dirt Road Paving Program

• Sara Matthews Road is under construction. Installed drainage box and ditches. Project is 30 percent complete. No paving date confirmed at this time.
• Howard Coogler Road is under construction with clearing and grubbing done. Project is 10 percent complete. No paving date confirmed at this time.
• Jackson/Nathan Ridge Lane is under construction with clearing and grubbing, ditch installation, roadway base and driveways installed. The project is 80 percent complete. Paving is projected to start within 30 days, pending weather.

7/10/24

Richland County Council and the County’s Department of Transportation held a celebratory ribbon cutting on May 29 to mark the completion of enhancements to the intersection of Bull Street and Elmwood Avenue, a major Transportation Penny project.

The scope of this $5.2 million project included resurfacing and restriping roads, improving drainage, upgrading traffic signals, and improving pedestrian crossings. The upgrades will improve traffic flow, reduce traffic signal wait times, and improve safety for drivers and pedestrians. The improvements to this main thoroughfare also will support growth of businesses in the Bull Street District.

Council Chair Jesica Mackey (District 9), Councilman Paul Livingston (District 4), and Mike Maloney, the County’s Director of Transportation provided remarks about the intersection project and the Penny Program’s impact in communities throughout Richland County.

City of Columbia Mayor also spoke at the event, emphasizing the importance of the Transportation Penny in improving infrastructure, growing economic development and enhancing quality of life for people throughout the county.

Watch a video recap of the event HERE.

PROJECTS IN CONSTRUCTION

Blythewood Road Widening
The project started construction in April of 2023. Completion will occur in July of 2025.

Sunset Drive Sidewalk Construction
The project construction started in May of 2024. Completion will occur in February of 2025.

Dirt Road Package O Construction
The project consists of improving Nathan Ridge Lane, Jackson Road, Sara Mathews Road and Howard Coogler Road.

Alpine Road Resurfacing and Sidewalk Improvement
The project construction started in February of 2024. Completion will occur in August of 2024.

PROJECTS READY FOR CONSTRUCTION

Atlas Road Widening
Utility Relocation solicited for construction bids starting May 27, 2024.
•The scope includes the intersection of Garners Ferry Road to the intersection of Shop Road.
•We will release the road construction plans for construction bidding in about six months.
•This section of the widening is from two land to five lanes with bike lanes and sidewalks.
•County Council has approved widening Atlas Road from two lanes to three lanes, from Shop Road to the intersection of Bluff Road. This project will be prepared for final plans and SCDOT approval for release to construction within one year.

Percival Road Sidewalk Construction
This project is at County Procurement for solicitation of bids.
•The project extends new sidewalk from Decker Boulevard to Forest Drive along the north side of Percival Road.

Resurfacing Package U Construction
The project consists of over $6 million in improvements.

PROJECTS IN RIGHT-OF-WAY ACQUISITION

Broad River Road Widening
The ROW acquisition is underway. All the property owners have been in communication with the project team. Twenty parcel owners committed small pieces of property to the needs of the public project. Others are in negotiation.

Pineview Road Widening
The ROW acquisition in underway. All the property owners have received information regarding the project. This project began acquisition in April.

Crane Creek Greenway
We contacted the property owner on this project regarding the easement required for the trail.

Smith-Rocky Branch Greenway
The property owners have received information on the project easement needs and will receive offers within the next two months.

Dirt Road Paving Program
Several County Roads, with emphasis on Council District 10, are receiving consent/denial checks, appraisals, and ROW contact meetings with our staff augmentation and on-call engineering team.

Richland County residents are invited to share comments about the proposed Transportation Penny Referendum during a public hearing at County Council’s July 9 meeting. The referendum must pass three readings before it can be included on the November General Election ballot. A third reading is scheduled for July 16.

In October 2023, Council approved a resolution authorizing County staff to prepare for a Transportation Sales Tax referendum. Council passed a first reading of the referendum on April 9 and a second reading on May 14.

The projected revenue from a potential new Penny collected over 25 years or until the maximum revenue is received, whichever comes first, is estimated at $4.5 billion. During the second reading, Council voted to allocate 50% to County advancement projects, 30% to community investment projects, and 20% to Comet-related enhancements. The motion also included a minimum of $20 million for each Council district that could be spent on advancement or investment projects.

“It is important for residents to understand that the vote is not yet final, and we want to hear from our constituents about transportation needs in their respective communities,” said Richland County Council Chairwoman Jesica Mackey, District 9. “We understand the frustrations of the first Penny, and my colleagues and I are committed to full transparency in this process. We have and will continue to be
diligent in our efforts.”

The current Penny program, a one-percent sales tax that was approved by voters in 2012 has, to date, funded over $700 million of $1.07 billion projects in Richland County, for road improvements, sidewalks,
and greenways, as well as the Midlands public transportation system, The COMET. Over 120 miles of roads have been resurfaced, 85 dirt roads have been paved, and eleven new intersections have been constructed.

Additionally, the Penny has been instrumental in creating more than 6,500 employment opportunities and has contributed an estimated $400 million in wages to workers across the County, which has played a significant role in improving the overall standard of living. Over the last decade, there has been over $4.7 billion in new economic investment, which has led to a sixty percent decrease in unemployment rates, 20,000 new jobs, and 4,000 new businesses.

Mackey adds that the Penny program has afforded the County opportunities to make significant improvements to infrastructure which otherwise may not have been possible – paving the way for economic development and job creation. “Richland County residents have benefited from increased mobility, safer roadways, and overall higher quality of life as a result of their investment in the community. I applaud this Council for their commitment to this program and their transparency as we navigate its trials and successes,” Mackey said.

Residents who cannot attend the July 9 public hearing but would like to have their voices heard may email comments to transportationpenny@richlandcountysc.gov to be included in the record. The deadline to submit written comments is 5 p.m. July 5.

Additional information about the Transportation Penny including current projects and future plans, as well as recordings of public meetings can be found on the Penny website. Residents may also sign up for the Penny Tax newsletter and request a speaker by visiting the website.

Richland County staff have begun discussing accomplishments of the Transportation Penny program at community meetings throughout the County. The meetings provide a forum for residents to ask questions and voice their concerns on the development of various Penny projects.

On April 23, County Council participated in the second of four Transportation Improvement Work Sessions, where they reviewed information from a recent transportation needs assessment and discussed next steps. Watch a video from the April session and set your calendars for the next one, set for 2 p.m. June 25.

The Alpine Road Sidewalk and Road Resurfacing project has begun. Crews started preliminary work on the sidewalk in April. It will cover more than two miles and connect S.C. Highway 12 (Percival Road)

to U.S. 1 (Two Notch Road). The resurfacing work is planned tobegin mid-June.

An added benefit of the new sidewalk is the connection to the
Polo Road sidewalk or “shared-use path,” another Penny project completed in 2021. This path stretches 9,000 feet past Polo Elementary School, ending at Mallet Hill Road and the Richland County Recreation Department Sports Field Complex. These two Penny-funded projects will provide more than 3.7 miles of pedestrian improvements, increasing safety and enhancing quality of life for area residents.

The Alpine Road project has an estimated budget of $4.3 million, including some S.C. Department of Transportation resurfacing funds. The anticipated completion date is September 2024.

Find detailed information on active and completed Transportation Penny Projects here.

A ceremonial groundbreaking and press conference on March 26 with County Councilmembers kicked off of the $5.2M Transportation Penny project that will bring enhancements to the area including road paving, upgraded utilities, and construction of a 5-foot-wide sidewalk.

The sidewalk plus curb and gutter work will provide safety for pedestrians using the 0.75-mile long path running from Makeway Drive, near River Drive, to Elmhurst Road, near North Main Street.

“This is the first time a pedestrian improvement has been designed for this area. The project design will provide pedestrians safe access to area neighborhoods, schools and local commerce from Broad River Road to Main Street,” said Transportation Penny Program Director Mike Maloney.

The project scope also involves a nearby water line and adds structures to improve drainage along the corridor, including improvements for driveways and a retaining wall at the culvert.

No lane closures are expected for the area, but drivers should expect a temporary detour while work is ongoing. The County will release more details on a timeframe for the detour when they become available.

The project is scheduled for completion in May 2025.

County Council voted to approve the start of the Atlas Road Widening project during its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, April 9. The scope of this Transportation Penny project for District 10 and District 11 focuses on widening the current two-lane road to a five-lane roadway, separated by a 15-foot median from Shop Road (SC 768) to Garners Ferry Road (US 76).

Pedestrian improvements between Bluff and Shop roads are also part of the project. New sidewalks will be constructed on both sides of the road. Four-foot bike lanes will provide safe passage for cyclists. Drainage installation, curb and gutter, traffic signals, and erosion control design are just a few infrastructure elements that are part of the projected $37 million budget, funded by your Transportation Penny. Once started, the construction is anticipated to take 36 months, with a target completion date in January 2027.