Carolina-Bays-Parkway
This webpage is intended to provide information on the Carolina Bays Parkway Extension project
and to gather public input on the information presented.
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For...
This webpage is intended to provide information on the Carolina Bays Parkway Extension project
and to gather public input on the information presented.
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For additional information, history, highlights and other details, please visit the NCDOT main webpage:
NCDOT: Carolina Bays Parkway Extension (https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/carolina-bays-parkway/Pages/default.aspx)
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This project is listed as Project R-5876 in NCDOT's State Transportation Improvement Program
and as Project P029554 in SCDOT's State Transportation Improvement Program.
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The N.C. Department of Transportation and the S.C. Department of Transportation plan to extend Carolina Bays Parkway (S.C. 31) from S.C. 9 in Horry County, S.C., across the North Carolina state line to U.S. 17 in Brunswick County. The project is expected to involve construction of a multi-lane expressway and may involve both existing roadways and areas on new location.
SCDOT State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) Project P029554 would extend Carolina Bays Parkway from its current terminus at S.C. 9 in Horry County to the North Carolina state line.NCDOT STIP Project R-5876 would extend Carolina Bays Parkway from the state line to U.S. 17 Shallotte Bypass in Brunswick County.
Carolina Bays Parkway Extension is anticipated to involve the construction of a multilane, full control of access freeway, with part on new location. Full control of access means that access to Carolina Bays Parkway will only be provided via ramps and interchanges. Bridges will be installed at some cross streets and no driveway connections will be allowed.
Project Purpose
The primary purpose of the project is to improve the transportation network in the study area by enhancing mobility and connectivity for traffic moving in and through the project area.
Mobility refers to the movement of people or goods. Potential measures of performance for evaluating an improvement in mobility in the project area include travel time, travel speed and level of service (LOS). LOS measures a driver’s experience on the road, based on the speed and number of cars using the road. The LOS of a road is designated by a letter grade of A (free flow) to F (near gridlock).
SCDOT has established a LOS goal of C for their state roads
NCDOT has established a LOS goal of D for system level planning analysis
Connectivity refers to the density of connections in road networks and the directness of links. Potential measures of performance for evaluating improvements in connectivity are reduced travel times and enhanced route options for travelers, service providers, and the transport of goods.
Many intersections and roadway segments in the study area are expected to either approach or exceed the roadway capacity limits in 2045, the planning horizon year. Transportation projects like Carolina Bays Parkway Extension are typically planned with long-term horizons to ensure they can adequately address future traffic demands and regional growth. The population within Horry and Brunswick counties has steadily increased, and is expected to continue to increase, along with the number of tourists to the area. Growth in population, tourism, and supporting services has resulted in an increase in mixed-purpose traffic on area roads.
Carolina Bays Parkway Extension Study Area
The Carolina Bays Parkway Extension project area consists mostly of unincorporated areas in Horry and Brunswick counties but also includes portions of some coastal towns and communities located on the inland side of the Intracoastal Waterway.
A study area is a geographical area in which information on human and natural environmental features are gathered during the preliminary planning phase. The Carolina Bays Parkway Extension study area boundary was established with consideration given to the ability to develop a full range of alternatives while minimizing potential impacts to important environmental features. The project study area is approximately 19 miles long, with about five miles located in South Carolina and 14 miles located in North Carolina.
With the selection of Detailed Study Alternatives, comprehensive field studies were completed within 1,000-foot wide corridors. Outlined in red in the map below, the study area is much larger than the actual amount of land that would be directly impacted by the project and is subject to change as more information about the project is collected.
