Robert Edge Parkway opens in North Myrtle Beach

A five-year road construction project in North Myrtle Beach became reality Thursday.

The Robert Edge Parkway crosses the waterway and connects Main Street with Carolina Bays Parkway, then goes all the way to SC 90 near Wampee.

This should greatly increase the accessibility into North Myrtle Beach.

“It will open up all sorts of possibilities for us and ways to diversify our economy and a lot of planning has taken place so that will happen,“  Marc Jordan, President and Chief Executive Officer of the North Myrtle Beach Chamber said.

“It’s a wonderful thing. It’s been a long time coming. Bring people out down to main street, not only to come to our business but to other businesses. To come to our new amusement park down there at the end of main street, we have so many things to offer on main street. It’s wonderful addition,“ Linley Dew, vice president of Dews Hardware said.

The Parkway is named for North Myrtle Beach’s first mayor the late Robert Edge.

The $85 million project resulted in a bridge that empties residents and tourists right onto Main street.

The bridge was part of the Ride One Project.

It was funded by a 1.5 percent hospitality sales tax on food and beverage and the state infrastructure bank.