YORK COUNTY, S.C. — It's been nearly nine months since York County debuted the diverging diamond interchange on the Gold Hill Road Bridge over I-77 in September 2021. It’s the first one of its kind operating in South Carolina and the goal was to alleviate heavy traffic.
Patrick Hamilton, who is an engineer with York County and oversees the Pennies for Progress program, said it did take people some time to get used to the new interchange. According to Hamilton, a few accidents were reported last year when the interchange opened, but that has since subsided.
“I think it’s a huge improvement to the interchange,” Hamilton said. “We received that pushback early on when it first opened -- people weren’t used to it, they didn’t think it worked -- but it’s proven that it does work.”
The diverging diamond interchange takes some getting used to because it pulls you to the left side of the road when, traditionally, drivers are used to keeping right. With about 25,000 cars driving over the bridge every day, this design is supposed to help traffic flow better.
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Change often comes with hesitation, and one driver is still feeling it about the interchange.
“It works ok, [but it] does get clogged up a little bit,” the driver said.
Others embraced it, like Kenneth Bragg who said, overall, it saves him time.
“It saves me a lot of time, especially when I go see my grandkid, my granddaughter – everything is ok,” Bragg said.
Alleviating traffic is a top concern for the county.
Hamilton said York County is trying to keep up with an increasing population, and there are several road projects in the works to help with the problem.
“You’ve seen the numbers with the Census, and York County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation," Hamilton said. "So we’re doing road improvements now that were needed five years ago."
The Pennies for Progress program charges a 1% sales tax to go towards maintaining roadways, and Hamilton stays busy with projects.
In addition to the diverging diamond interchange on the Gold Hill Road Bridge opening last September, the county’s other big project is the widening of Highway 274 and Pole Branch Road in Lake Wylie.
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The $38 million project is expected to be complete by the end of May, turning two lanes into five lanes.
“It’s a high-profile project, very busy area, lots of traffic up in that part of the county,” Hamilton said.
York County is also working with DOT to completely redo the Exit 85 interchange in York County. That unique project will include adding more bridges. Construction is expected to start in the spring or summer of next year.
“That’s a much-needed project in that area,” Hamilton said. “With Kingsley, Baxter…and you’ve got LPL and all the other businesses in there – that area is just booming.”
Contact Indira Eskieva at ieskieva@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.