If the $2.4 billion proposed route of I-73 existed today, it would soon be facing major flood issues like areas along Highway 501 at Gallivants Ferry are expecting this coming week. Areas of I-95 and I-20 have experienced flood issues already. The land that comprises the newly proposed areas of the I-73 route are completely flooded as of today. Completed areas of highway 22 are not experiencing flood issues and will not.
Horry County Council voted just recently to set aside $20 million annually to help fund this interstate locally. Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune, Rep. Alan Clemmons, Rep. Heather Ammons Crawford, and Rep. Russel Frye then made a joint trip to D.C. in the past few weeks asking for matching Federal funding based on Horry County’s vote.
Engineers we spoke with this morning stated that to plan and build the Horry County section of an interstate that would be appropriately elevated to avoid Hurricane related flooding could cost over $6 billion.
State and local officials currently have their eyes on the Lumber, Pee Dee, Little Pee Dee, Catawba and Waccamaw rivers as there will be flooding over the next 5 days.
THIS FROM HORRY COUNTY COUNCILMAN AL ALLEN TODAY:
Expected Pee Dee Flood waters over the next days
WILL THE 501 BRIDGE HOLD?
Other officials are hoping the Gallivants Ferry Bridge on 501 holds. While it has in the past, Allen says this flood will be worse than Hurricane Matthew which set the record at 17.1 feet. The bridge barely held during that flood.