Northern Project

Background Information

Since Congress approved a $3 million earmark for the Interstate 73 project, the SCDOT Commission has approved the use of a consultant to complete an initial environmental document.

In June 2003, the SCDOT staff completed a feasibility study that identified a 5,000 square mile study area for I-73 in South Carolina. Within the study area, the SCDOT conducted a planning level review to identify projected traffic volumes and preliminary environmental impacts associated with new location alternatives, as well as the upgrade of existing routes US 501 and SC 9 to interstate standards. The SCDOT study is preliminary, and was intended to initiate further environmental and engineering analyses. The review assessed environmental and social constraints, estimated traffic demand, alignment and design criteria, and preliminary costs of the project.

Potential I-73 corridors for the entire project would be approximately 90 miles in length with projected traffic volumes of approximately 60,000 vehicles per day. Preliminary cost estimates range between $1 and $2 billion.

In mid-2004, SCDOT selected a consultant to perform the studies necessary to produce an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). During the summer of 2004, the project team prepared two Notices of Intent (one for a project from I-95 to the South Carolina/North Carolina State line, and another for a project from I-95 to the Myrtle Beach area) which were published in August.

A summit meeting between representatives of South Carolina and North Carolina was conducted in early February 2005. Based on this summit, SCDOT and the study team have revised the scope of the project between I-95 and the South Carolina/North Carolina to include the study of a project of North Carolina in the Rockingham/Hamlet area (Richmond County). This resulted in the publishing of a revised Notice of Intent for the Northern project on July 22, 2005.

A Public Scoping Meeting was conducted on August 30, 2005 at the Marlboro County High School in Bennettsville and on November 28, 2005 at the Cole Auditorium at the Richmond County Community College in Hamlet, NC.

Using input received from the public at these meetings, as well as from the various resource and regulatory agencies involved with this project, the Project Team developed Potential Alternative Corridors that were presented to the public during Public Information Meetings in Bennettsville on September 7, 2006 and in Hamlet, NC on September 12, 2006.

The Recommended Preferred Alternative was presented to the public on July 19, 2007. Public Hearings were conducted on August 14 in Bennettsville, and on August 28 in Hamlet, North Carolina.

Current Status

The Project Team is continuing to perform field investigations along the route of the Preferred Alternative Corridor. These field investigations include locating wetlands, cultural resources, potential habitat for federally protected species, and other elements necessary to determine an alignment that best reduces impacts to the natural and the human environments. Based on these field investigations, as well as comments received from the resource and regulatory agencies and the public, the Project Team has also been evaluating several modifications to the preferred alignment shown during the public Hearings. Revisions to the alignment are considered when they result in a net reduction of impacts to the environment. It is possible that some additional alignment revisions will be made.

The SCDOT Project Team is coordinating its efforts within the state of North Carolina with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT).

The Project Team is also working to prepare the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Northern Project. Once the FEIS for the Northern Project has been completed later this year, we will anticipate the issuance of a ROD for this project.

The intent is to have the Environmental Impact Statement completed within a three-year time period.

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