South Carolina evacuation highway suggested for toll financing

Local officials in Horry County in northeast South Carolina want to explore private financing of a long-sought 4-lane expressway as a tollroad. The road project known as Storm Evacuation Life Line (SELL) is at an advanced stage of permitting with a preferred alternative route.

As the name suggests much of the impetus for the road is to provide an improved route inland when the famous hurricanes threaten this part of the Atlantic Coast - all four lanes would then be used to allow people to drive inland.

But a day by day purpose of the road will be to provide improved access to an oceanside area 10 miles (16km) and more south of Myrtle Beach, which presently lacks any high quality route connecting to roads heading to I-73 and I-95.

Route selected

The route selected in the environmental permitting process for the SELL road is 45km, 28 miles long, and goes from near Surfside Beach/ southern Strand to US501 at its junction with SC22 to the west of Conway.

The Myrtle Beach Sun-News quotes Howard Barnard, Horry county councilman and chairman of the SELL Committee as saying preliminary estimates are that a toll of $3.50/car trip would be about sufficient to fund the project which is estimated to cost about $600m.

All-electronic tolling

The road is envisaged as being all-electronic tolling. Tolls might be suspended during hurricane evacuations or other emergencies.

Civil Engineering Consulting Services Inc of Columbia SC consultants on the project suggested private toll financing, and have offered to canvass potential investors.

Mike Barbee South Carolina DOT project manager for the roadway thinks toll financing needs to be explored. He thinks tourist areas like this are more likely to support tolls, especially in busy holiday periods.

No public funds

The state DOT has no funds to build the SELL road. It is even short of money to complete the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process.

$200k allotted has already been spent or committed.

Horry County Council will consider a motion at their meeting this month to proceed with canvassing private toll financing for the SELL.

Existing tolls in SC

South Carolina has only two operating toll projects - the Greenville Southern Connector in the northwest of the state which is in serious financial trouble and the Cross Island Parkway tollroad on Hilton Head Island in the far south corner of the state which is financially successful.

Like the south Strand area Hilton Head Island sees lots of tourists and retirees.

see http://www.southernevacuationlifeline.com/

TOLLROADSnews 2010-03-08