Business, economic development leaders back Highway 246 widening project
Some of Greenwood County’s most influential business and political leaders are backing its first request for state Infrastructure Bank aid — $38 million to widen a crucial transportation corridor that supports thousands of jobs in the region.
On Friday, officials publicly released the county’s 28-page application to the bank, which asks for help to widen four miles of South Carolina Highway 246 from two lanes of traffic to four, with a shared central median as a fifth lane.
The pitch includes letters of support from state Sen. Floyd Nicholson, D-Greenwood, Greenwood Partnership Alliance chief Heather Simmons Jones and CEOs from several of area’s largest employers.
If state leaders approve the county’s proposal, the money will be combined with almost $12 million being generated through a voter-approved 2016 capital project sales tax.
“The considerations for the widening of Hwy 246 are numerous. There are four major companies immediately located in this section with an additional three companies intersecting for a total of seven companies located in this area,” Jones wrote in an Aug. 21 letter of support to Infrastructure Bank board chairman John B. White, Jr.
Combined, those seven businesses (Ascend, Eaton, Enviva, Fujifilm, Lonza, Teijin and Velux) have invested $719 million and created 398 jobs since 2015. In all, those firms employ 3,660 people.
And by 2030, according to estimates included in the county’s application, the population is expected to see a 13.4% increase in the area where Highway 246 is located. Its daily traffic count — currently 7,200 — is anticipated to rise to 10,000 by 2045.
The stretch to be widened runs from its intersection with U.S. Route 221 to Emerald Road, and improvements to it have been identified as priorities from both the state Department of Transportation and the Upper Savannah Council of Governments.
While the project is seen as a major need for future commerce, part of the reason it’s so expensive is because of its past.
In 1958, a railroad bridge was built in the center of the proposed widening area — a structure considered obsolete by modern standards. Removing it and incorporating the dimensions into the overall plan will cost almost $20 million.
“The Hwy 246 corridor in Greenwood County has become an important economic development hub in the region with industries such as FUJIFILM, Ascend, Teijin and Enviva either breaking ground or increasing production in their factories on this particular stretch of road,” Nicholson wrote in a letter of support.
Last month, the County Council unanimously approved a resolution endorsing the Infrastructure Bank application — a requirement for eligibility.
County leaders plan to pursue federal funds as well through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Infrastructure for Rebuilding America grant program.
With traffic flow projected to rise over the next 20 years, officials said in their application the median will be added as a safety feature.
“The shared center median would likely reduce head-on collisions by providing for a 15-foot separation between motorists traveling in opposite directions,” county officials said.
Established in 1997, the state Infrastructure Bank has a future funding capacity of $728 million. Applications are being accepted through Sept. 1. Eligible projects must cost at least $25 million.
The bank’s board has set a tentative deadline of Oct. 31 to decide which requests should be funded.
Teijin Carbon Fiber Inc. President Yukito Miyajima said a modernized Highway 246 is essential for his company’s massive Greenwood County footprint. The Japanese carbon fiber manufacturer is spending $600 million on a plant set to open next year.
“We will then add two additional lines of production. Construction of our entire facility will not be complete until 2030. During that period, there will be hundreds of construction workers as well as countless numbers of large trucks entering and exiting our facility,” Miyajima wrote to the Infrastructure Bank. “To ensure the safety of the community, our facility and neighboring facilities we see the need for the widen (sic) of Hwy 246 South.”
Originally Published by Index-Journal on: Sep 2, 2019
By ADAM BENSON abenson@indexjournal.com
Article Link: https://www.indexjournal.com/news/business-economic-development-leaders-back-highway-246-widening-project/article_1157d7a7-8139-53c4-b610-fdc4f6a07f2b.html