Horry County continues progress of paving dirt roads

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Horry County continues to improve area roads with tax dollars. The money funds the RIDE II program. RIDE II is a series of road construction and improvements throughout the county.

Bernadine Recine works at the Country Roads store near Loris. She's very glad the county road next door is now paved.  She said her customers are also happy to no longer travel on dirt and sand roads. 

"I think it's great because these roads have been really bad,” Recine said. “Their all saying it's about time. It's about time our money's finally getting to work."

In November 2006, taxpayers voted to enact a one-cent sales tax to pay for the road work. The county allotted $109.2 million to pave 100 miles of county roads.

The county is currently paving a series of roads in the Loris community. They should finish up there in March. They also are working on roads in the Little River area that should wrap up in April. Then roads in Socastee are on the agenda.

Another road project in the works is the North Myrtle Beach Connecter. The South Carolina Department of Transportation said it's still on track. It will connect Highway 31 and Route 9 to Main Street in North Myrtle Beach. The DOT said crews are working around the clock building the road and constructing a bridge across the waterway.  It's on schedule to open in spring 2009.

The county recently received their fall quarter check for collected sales tax from the State Department of Revenue for more than $16 million. Add that to the first check and the county has collected more than $35 million so far.

For a complete listing of Phase I roads and updates:

http://salestaxfordirtroads.com/Main%20Page/MAIN_PAGE.html

Horry County Riding on a Penny-RIDE II project:

http://www.ridingonapenny.com

South Carolina Department of Transportation

http://www.dot.state.sc.us