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The real winner in this I-73 and/or I-20 scenario is Marion County. If I were in the Planning Department there.. I would be trying my best to get either of these highways built.. then attempt to position the eastern end of the County as a lower cost retirement area for folks who want to retire near the beach but not cant necessarily afford or want to live in a beach community with the traffic, partying etc. Marion County could market itself to developers who want to build retirement communities... Given the low cost of land and a direct interstate access to the beach created by I-73 they could become the Jasper County of NE South Carolina in terms of netting a segment of this population.. Since retirees dont have school age children they wont care about Marion County Schools though their taxes would go to support them. They could also get more bang for their buck in terms of larger homes or more land for less money than what they could get in Horry especially if they want a more rural/small town lifestyle while being close to the beach, shopping etc. They have access to two train station (Dillon and Florence) two Airports (MYR and FLO) and direct highway access to the east cost and to the mountains and on to the upper mid west......
Absolutely Marion could would be in a win win situation any way that you look at it. Marion county is a gem, I don't even think those folks know how much of a gem they are.
Absolutely Marion could would be in a win win situation any way that you look at it. Marion county is a gem, I don't even think those folks know how much of a gem they are.
LOL.. I doubt it.. unfortunately. I think they are also suffering from the "brain drain" with the best and brightest leaving for better opportunities leaving behind the haves and the have nots.. and the haves are only focused on maintaining the status quo.. I was offered a job in Marion County (Government) when I first got out of FMU... I declined it because it was a dead end job (from my perspective) and I wanted to pursue my Masters. I also was not from the Pee Dee and didnt plan to make it my home. I wish FMU via its School of Business and Poltical Science would work more with places like Marion, Mullins, Lake City, Johnsonville, and a whole host of other little burgs and podunk places that could benefit.. even only in the short term from their energy and new ideas. Could be a great internship opportunity for many....
That end of the state has more incorporated cities and towns than most other areas that I have been to.. I mean Quinby is basically a subdivision and yet its actually a TOWN in Florence County.. As is Pamplico, Cades, Coward, Scranton, and other such places.... When I went to FMU.. being from Columbia.. I have never even heard of these places until I went to FMU. In fact many students commuted to FMU from these towns......Some were quaint and kind of interesting.. others were stuck in a time warp.. I remember I almost drove into a creek trying to get around a cotton gin (or something like that) that was driving two miles per hour down a highway.. I enjoyed my time in Florence.. looking back.. met some nice people.. but it took a while to get used to.. Even though SC is a small state.. we still have separate and distinct regions, attitudes and beliefs..
South Carolina wants both I-73 and I-74 to Myrtle Beach and they refuse to extend I-20 to Wilmington. I-74 should go to Wilmington if SC doesn't want to extend I-20. Myrtle Beach is already getting I-73.
South Carolina wants both I-73 and I-74 to Myrtle Beach and they refuse to extend I-20 to Wilmington. I-74 should go to Wilmington if SC doesn't want to extend I-20. Myrtle Beach is already getting I-73.
73/74 should be extended to Charleston. That would keep so much traffic off of 26 and 95. 20 should just end in mrtyle beach
Interstate 73's southern terminus was originally planned for Charleston. Opposition truncated the southern terminus to South Carolina Highway 707 in Murrells Inlet.
This is an old thread that I bring back alive when talk about I-73 happens. 12 years since this was posted and not much has change. I understand that Congress would have to approve the extension of I-20 but with the rate that Myrtle Beach is growing and the more you look at I-73, it really seems pointless to build I-73 when you can actually connect two of the main cities in the Pee Dee with a freeway.
I know the question then would be "but who's going to pay for it?", but why not build both?
I thought there was a formula like 80 fed 20 state.. but I could be wrong ....I think 73 has been prioritized I suspect because most of the flow from the upper midwest and from the NE/Mid Atlantic down to the beach to include all points in between versus I-20 GA, AL, MS, and TN( I-26) and points in the deep south that have access to beaches in their respective states with TN being the exception.
In fact I-20 to the beach has been on the books for decades and I believe was traded for I-73 and Florence accepted local road improvements on the south side of town on US Hwy 301 and the northside using SC 327 in lieu of a formal expressway bypass that would have been created by I-20. Marion and Horry were likely ambivalent on I-20 as either highway would have benefited them, but they would likely not support both not only because of $$ but they likely would not want their landscape carved up with interstates as I am sure a lot of private land would have to be taken by force by the Feds/State via condemnation which is likely to be unpopular. On a related note, I have been told that the Pee Dee contains one of the largest percentage of farms lands owned by African Americans.. that alone would likely stop any forcible acquisition by the state or the feds of lands for a highway given the history of highways in communities of color. I have known a few African American families from Marion that wouldnt sell their farms simply as a matter of heritage, pride, and principle even if they were paid market value whatever that may be. It also benefits Dillon County as well.
Last edited by Woodlands; 05-23-2022 at 11:00 AM..
I-26 needs to be 6 lanes from Charleston to Greenville with the Charleston to Columbia leg coming first. The level of traffic on this interstate is extremely high. The port authority continues to break volume records.
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