BLYTHEWOOD – Almost 13 years after Richland County residents voted in 2012 for a $1.1 billion Transportation Penny Tax to be collected over 22 years, Richland County Council recently voted to ask residents to support a referendum for a second Transportation Penny Tax on Nov. 5, 2024 – this one for $4.5 billion to be collected over 25 years or until the money is collected, whichever comes first.
After the 2012 Penny was adopted, then-Richland County Transportation Director Rob Perry told Blythewood Planning Commission Chair Malcolm Gordge and other top town officials that right of way acquisitions would commence in 2018 – 19 on the Blythewood projects, and that the proposed improvements were to be completed by 2021 and 2022.
But of the five projects initially promised for Blythewood in the 2012 Penny Tax, construction has only begun on one of them – the widening of Blythewood Road to Syrup Mill Road to include a roundabout in front of Cobblestone Park/Food Lion shopping area. Completion date for that project is now July of 2025, Interim Director of the Transportation Penny Tax program, Michael Maloney told The Voice.
The other projects proposed for Blythewood in the 2012 Penny – the widening and improvements to McNulty Road from Main Street to Blythewood Road and the widening, extension and improvements of Creech Road from Blythewood Road to Main Street; are not scheduled to begin until October of 2025, and will not be completed until November, 2026. An early proposal for a traffic circle at the intersection of Creech Road and Blythewood Road has been dropped.
The Penny Tax program budgeted the dollars for improvement, but left it up to council to prioritize the projects. As Mayor of Blythewood, Mike Ross suggested that McNulty Road be the top priority behind the widening of Blythewood Road (from I-77 to Syrup Mill Road). Council agreed. Surveying work has been done on McNulty Road.
All five of the initial 2012 Blythewood penny projects are unfinished and construction has not-yet-started on four of them.
CORRECTION: A photo of the Langford Road/Main Street (Hwy 21) intersection is posted on the Town’s FB page with the statement: ‘Stay tuned for progress photos as traffic improvements are made over the coming weeks.’ Although the caption doesn’t say so, it turns out that the PHOTO AND STATEMENT are referring to road-striping work that Great Southern Homes will be doing to accommodate increased traffic expected from a housing project that is proceeding nearby on Langford Road.
The projects listed for Blythewood in the new 2024 Penny ordinance will be on the county-wide ballot next month.
These projects are not prioritized, and The Voice was told by a Transportation Penny Tax official that the costs listed for each proposed project are at this point construction cost estimates and are not yet verified. Plus, up to 60 percent increase can be added to the basic construction costs – listed with each project – to include right of way acquisition, permitting, etc.
A footnote on the schedule of projects states that the costs shown are also not adjusted for inflation.
The proposed 2024 Penny projects are divided into ‘Community Investment Needs’ and ‘County Advancement Needs.’ The list of projects also notes who requested the improvements. There is no notation as to whether these listed projects are, at this point, final decisions or a wish list. Penny officials say that all the listed projects probably cannot be completed with the $4.5 billion.
Under Community Investment Needs:
- Improvements to the intersections of Main Street (Hwy 21) at Langford Road and Main Street at Blythewood Road ($7.2M) and the intersection of Rimer Pond Road at Wilson Blvd (U. S. Hwy 21) ($5.5M) are all requested by the Town of Blythewood.
- Improvements to the intersection of Tobacco Barn Road/Loner Road/Blythewood Road ($4.2M) and to the intersection of Rimer Pond Road and Longtown Road East ($4.3M) both near schools and requested by Richland School District Two through the SC Department of Transportation
Under County Advancement Needs:
- The widening of the full length of Langford Road from Main Street to Hardscrabble Road ($58.7M); the widening of Main Street from I-77 exit 24 to Langford Road ($42M); and the widening of Blythewood Road from I-77 exit 27 to Main Street ($10.4M) all requested by the public
- Widening of Hardscrabble Road from Langford Road to Kelly Mill Road ($13.6M) requested by the COG (Council of Governments)
- The widening of the full length of Rimer Pond Road from Wilson Blvd (Hwy 21) to Hardscrabble Road ($3.9M) requested by SC DOT (SC Department of Transportation)
While the public requested the widening of Langford Road, the county estimated the cost would be $58.7M, but that the cost to widen Rimer Pond Road – which was preferred by SCDOT over Langford Road – would only cost $3.9M even though the two roads are approximately the same length.
Maloney explained that Rimer Pond Road was one of three proposals that came in late from SCDOT, and that the low number is a place-holder, not an estimate.
“The $3.9 million is just a place-holder cost amount until actual construction costs can be estimated,” Maloney said.
The elephant in the room that many traffic experts say will most facilitate traffic through the town, however, is the much-needed and long-discussed dog-leg re-routing of Langford Road to connect directly with Blythewood Road. But that, according to Maloney, is not on the table for consideration for any year by the new Penny planners.
Penny officials say the cost for that project is too great for the Penny.
Richland County Councilman Derek Pugh, who represents parts of Blythewood, told The Voice that federal money as well as COG funding will have to help fund the re-routing of Langford to connect with Blythewood Road.
Pugh (Dist. 2) and Councilwoman Gretchen Barron (Dist. 7) will host a Town Hall meeting on Thursday, Oct. 24, at 6 p.m. at Doko Manor to discuss specifics of the 2024 Transportation Penny Tax referendum.
The public is invited to attend and ask questions. The referendum for the New Penny will be held Nov. 5 as part of the general election.