Roundabout readies for Aug. 4 grand opening
The Horry-Georgetown Technical College (HGTC) roundabout on University Boulevard will be open to traffic as of Wednesday, Aug. 4 at 10 a.m. when a ribbon cutting ceremony is planned."Safety was the number one factor," said Harold Hawley, HGTC vice president of building/finance. "We're not naïve enough to think there'll never be another traffic incident, but if there is, it should be minimized as a 10- or 15-mile-an-hour incident, not a 45-mile-an-hour accident."
The roundabout, a first in the county on a public road, is a circular intersection where traffic flows around a center island and is often used in place of stop signs or traffic signals.
"The quality of the design will provide a fresh and inviting entrance into both institutions," said Hawley.
A recent transportation study that considered 23 intersections converted into roundabouts showed a 39 percent decrease in crashes, a 76 percent decrease in injuries resulting from crashes and an 89 percent decrease in fatalities caused by crashes, according to Mary Eaddy, head of marketing and public relations at HGTC.
Cost of the construction is under $500,000, Eaddy said, and the project was planned by the Horry County Transportation Committee. It is state funded.
"There have been no negative complaints," said Hawley of the close of the road during the summer months and the rerouting of traffic. "The community has been incredibly patient and understanding."
The Thomas-Hutton engineering firm was hired to design and manage the project.
For more information, contact Hawley at 843-349-5279.
