Frozen Mid-Stride



Saturday’s editorial relates our hope that the first leg of I-73 will yet be built soon. (A quick disclaimer: This was written on Thursday to accommodate some vacation time, and because this process has moved so fast, an updated, newer version may have appeared in today’s paper).

For a few days this week, supporters of the long-promised and long-delayed I-73 had a victory to rejoice in.

The news that the state Transportation Commission had agreed to build the interchange with I-95 and five miles of I-73 toward U.S. 501 seemed the first step in finally seeing asphalt on the ground in South Carolina after decades of promises and lobbying. But then came the EPA.

As Sammy Fretwell of The State newspaper reported this week, the road would destroy an unusually large amount of wetlands — about 272 acres — as it cuts through the Pee Dee region of eastern South Carolina. That has brought opposition from environmental groups, as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In a March 28 letter, the EPA asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to deny a wetlands permit, saying an upgrade to existing roads might be preferable.

The federal agency said that the state had relied on outdated data to justify the highway and newer information shows that modifying current roads could cause less harm to the environment. If road proponents can’t mollify the EPA, Fretwell reported, the agency could see that the permit is never approved. The corps has federal jurisdiction to issue wetland permits, but the EPA can take control of a permit and deny it if the agency thinks the environmental impacts are too substantial.

Transportation officials have so far been silent on the EPA’s missive, but the hurdle this creates could be significant for the Grand Strand’s proposed connection to the interstate highway system. If nothing else, the letter adds fuel to the contention among some in the state that the road is uneccessary and superfluous.

“I don’t believe I-73 is justified,” said state Transportation Commission member Sarah Nuckles last week. “There are other, more practical routes.”

Many residents of other parts of the state are not yet be convinced of the need for an interstate that reaches the Grand Strand and the Pee Dee. The South Carolina Policy Council highlighted money this week for I-73 in the proposed state budget as one of the items that, in its words, “merit closer inspection.” And the interchange proposal has drawn other controversy, as it would max out the DOT’s bond-issuing credit and overleaping some projects that were designated higher priorities.

But the necessity and benefit of the interstate are clear to us. The Grand Strand’s hospitality juggernaut already provides the bulk of the state’s accommodations taxes and its tourism industry. We’ve long known that most tourists travel here by road. If we can help ease that trip and encourage more to make the journey to spend their money here, we should help. While we obviously have our own interests at top of mind, what’s good for us will also be good for the rest of the state.

We have not examined the wetland data that the EPA is calling into question, and even if we had, we are hardly transportation or environmental experts. But, luckily, the state does have such experts on staff. If the data needs a fresh look, we urge it be given a fresh look, and as soon as possible.

The best possible solution would be for the data to be examined portion by portion, so that perhaps the permits for the section of highway that includes the recently approved interchange could still be built while the wetland data for the rest of the route is re-examined.

It would be a tough blow to the state and the region if the state finds itself unable to build those first few miles. Beyond the help such an interchange would provide for I-95 traffic headed to the Grand Strand, the symbolism of constructing that first section of I-73 in the state can’t be overestimated.

We’ve been fortunate to have Grand Strand native Danny Isaac in a leadership position on the DOT commission. Isaac has long been an ardent supporter of the interstate and has been lobbying his fellow commissioners since his appointment to make the road a state priority. We have no doubt that whatever comes of this latest wrinkle he will continue to push hard for the construction of the highway.

Lao Tzu’s famous quote comes to mind, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” The planning and building of I-73 has already taken decades, and the road likely has decades ahead of it. But if the state can succeed in accomplishing the accelerated construction of this interchange, it would be a good initial step toward the day we begin welcoming visitors to the Strand from the completed highway.

 

As Sammy Fretwell of The State newspaper reported this week, the road would destroy an unusually large amount of wetlands — about 272 acres — as it cuts through the Pee Dee region of eastern South Carolina. That has brought opposition from environmental groups, as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In a March 28 letter, the EPA asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to deny a wetlands permit, saying an upgrade to existing roads might be preferable.

The federal agency said that the state had relied on outdated data to justify the highway and newer information shows that modifying current roads could cause less harm to the environment. If road proponents can’t mollify the EPA, Fretwell reported, the agency could see that the permit is never approved. The corps has federal jurisdiction to issue wetland permits, but the EPA can take control of a permit and deny it if the agency thinks the environmental impacts are too substantial.

Transportation officials have so far been silent on the EPA’s missive, but the hurdle this creates could be significant for the Grand Strand’s proposed connection to the interstate highway system. If nothing else, the letter adds fuel to the contention among some in the state that the road is uneccessary and superfluous.

“I don’t believe I-73 is justified,” said state Transportation Commission member Sarah Nuckles last week. “There are other, more practical routes.”

Many residents of other parts of the state are not yet be convinced of the need for an interstate that reaches the Grand Strand and the Pee Dee. The South Carolina Policy Council highlighted money this week for I-73 in the proposed state budget as one of the items that, in its words, “merit closer inspection.” And the interchange proposal has drawn other controversy, as it would max out the DOT’s bond-issuing credit and overleaping some projects that were designated higher priorities.

But the necessity and benefit of the interstate are clear to us. The Grand Strand’s hospitality juggernaut already provides the bulk of the state’s accommodations taxes and its tourism industry. We’ve long known that most tourists travel here by road. If we can help ease that trip and encourage more to make the journey to spend their money here, we should help. While we obviously have our own interests at top of mind, what’s good for us will also be good for the rest of the state.

We have not examined the wetland data that the EPA is calling into question, and even if we had, we are hardly transportation or environmental experts. But, luckily, the state does have such experts on staff. If the data needs a fresh look, we urge it be given a fresh look, and as soon as possible.

The best possible solution would be for the data to be examined portion by portion, so that perhaps the permits for the section of highway that includes the recently approved interchange could still be built while the wetland data for the rest of the route is re-examined.

It would be a tough blow to the state and the region if the state finds itself unable to build those first few miles. Beyond the help such an interchange would provide for I-95 traffic headed to the Grand Strand, the symbolism of constructing that first section of I-73 in the state can’t be overestimated.

We’ve been fortunate to have Grand Strand native Danny Isaac in a leadership position on the DOT commission. Isaac has long been an ardent supporter of the interstate and has been lobbying his fellow commissioners since his appointment to make the road a state priority. We have no doubt that whatever comes of this latest wrinkle he will continue to push hard for the construction of the highway.

Lao Tzu’s famous quote comes to mind, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” The planning and building of I-73 has already taken decades, and the road likely has decades ahead of it. But if the state can succeed in accomplishing the accelerated construction of this interchange, it would be a good initial step toward the day we begin welcoming visitors to the Strand from the completed highway.