SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) – Dorchester County officials are calling on the South Carolina Department of Transportation to install a traffic light on Bacons Bridge Road.
The intersection in question is where the new library that recently opened is, directly across the street from the Ashley River Park entrance. When people leaving the library have to make a left-hand turn, it presents a challenge.
“I think a traffic light would be awesome, it would make it easier to get out and keep us a lot safer,” the Trephan family said.
When attempting to turn left, drivers have to cross four lanes. Bacons Bridge Road has a speed limit of 45 miles per hour, but officials say cars travel much faster. On top of that, when looking left, a little way down the road curves, making it difficult to see when one is coming.
“Especially going across the park is going to be a hard time because there isn’t a stop light and no way to really control the traffic to make sure it slows down and we can get across safely, and taking a left to go back home could be a little dangerous and I want to keep him {child} safe,” Robert McKellar said.
Vice Chairman David Chinnis says they’ve communicated that the county will pay for the stop light, but that the SCDOT says the intersection doesn’t meet their criteria.
“The engineers with the DOT, especially regionally have told me that it doesn’t warrant that,” Chinnis said. “I would tell you public safety always warrants that, and if it’s a traffic light that creates public safety then there needs to be a traffic light.”
Chinnis wants the community to know that the council is doing its due diligence to put public safety at the forefront.
“Ultimately I and other councilmembers have spoken with the local delegation, the DOT, and the sheriff to add enforcement,” Chinnis said. “I’m not sure what it’s going to take to get the DOT out here to look at it and determine that it’s a problematic area.”
“It’s an accident waiting to happen,” McKellar said.
A spokesperson with the SCDOT provided the following statement:
To our knowledge, a study has not been conducted recently and SCDOT is supportive of the County’s efforts to conduct a traffic signal analysis at this location. We will continue to work with Dorchester County to review and implement potential solutions.
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