SCDOT announces comment extension due to Hurricane Matthew
The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) has extended the public comment period on preliminary alternatives for the Carolina Crossroads I-20/26/126 Corridor Project until Tuesday, November 1, 2016.
“Due to Hurricane Matthew, the comment period for the Carolina Crossroads Project has been extended by two weeks,” said Project Manager Brian Klauk. “We want to make sure that anyone impacted by the storm has had ample opportunity to view the information presented earlier this month and provide their comments. Public participation is critical to the success of this project.”
The I-20/26/126 corridor is a complex interstate system made up of 19 bridges, 12 interchanges, and 14 miles of interstate. Nearly 134,000 vehicles travel this system every day. In addition to being a main route in and out of Columbia, I-26 is a thoroughfare for travelers headed to the coast and mountains for recreation, and a major cargo route between Lowcountry ports and Upstate manufacturers.
To target the most complex areas of the system, SCDOT has evaluated a range of alternatives and presented preliminary alternatives that include 49 interchange design options, as well as options outside of the existing corridor. The preliminary alternatives can be viewed on the project website at www.SCDOTCarolinaCrossroads.com. This information will be available on the project website for the duration of the 36-month study.
“We are still very early in the evaluation of alternatives for this corridor, and a preferred solution has not been determined,” said Klauk. “We encourage you and your neighbors to be active participants in this project for the entire process. This is your road, and we want you to drive the conversation.”
This current public comment period is not the only opportunity to provide input on these alternatives before a preferred alternative is identified. After receiving public input on all options presented at this project phase, SCDOT will connect the best interchange solutions in complete alternatives that will be presented to the public in summer 2017. SCDOT is driving toward a 2019 destination when a contractor will take this project to construction.
With the announced extension, the public will have a total of 28 days after the Alternatives Public Information Meeting held on October 4, 2016 to submit comments on the preliminary alternatives. Comments are due by November 1, 2016. There is a variety of ways to submit comments including via the online meeting at http://www.scdotcarolinacrossroads.com/alternatives. Comments can be emailed to info@CarolinaCrossroadsSCDOT.com, recorded via the Project Hotline number at 1-800-601-8715 or mailed to:
Carolina Crossroads Corridor Project
C/O South Carolina Department of Transportation
Midlands Regional Production Group, Room 418
PO Box 191
Columbia, SC 29202-0191
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
SCDOT will take reasonable steps to ensure that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefit of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.
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