Construction

The Design/Build Team hired by SCDOT divided Segment 1 into three phases to expedite construction and minimize traffic impacts. Phase 1 extends between the Combahee River and Big Estate Road. Phase 2 is the more populated stretch in the middle and includes the portion of roadway between Big Estate Road and Gardens Corner. Phase 3 involves the interchange at US 17 and US 21. Segment 2A is the 1.7 mile portion of the project between the Combahee River and the four-lane roadway at Lightsey Plantation in Colleton County. View the map below for phasing breakdowns.

The Phase 1 design includes a 100-foot median separating two lanes of traffic in each direction. To protect as many significant trees as possible while maintaining high safety standards for the roadway, the 100 foot wide median includes 30 foot clear zones on either side of a 40 foot area of naturally occurring growth. A 10-foot, paved multi-purpose path in Phase 2 will allow bicyclists and hikers to enjoy this scenic area.

Segment 1 - Phase 1
Length: 3 miles
Between Combahee River and Big Estate Road
Environmental Permits: Completed
Right-of-Way Acquisition: In Progress
Design: 95% Completed
Construction: Underway

Segment 1 - Phase 2
Length: 2 miles
Between Big Estate Road and the Interchange at Gardens Corner
Environmental Permits: Completed
Right-of-Way Acquisition: In Progress
Design: 95% Completed
Construction: Underway

Segment 1 - Phase 3
Length: 1 mile
The intersection of US 17 and US 21
Environmental Permits: To be Acquired
Right-of-Way Acquisition: In Progress
Design: Preliminary Design Underway
Construction: To be determined

Segment 2A
Length: 1.7 mile
Combahee River and the 4-lane roadway at Lightsey Plantation
Right-of-Way Acquisition: Existing right of way is sufficient
Design: Preliminary Design Underway
Construction: To be determined

Project Approach

Looking for information

Prior to this widening project, US 17 ACE Basin between Gardens Corner and Jacksonboro was recognized as one of the nation’s most deadly highways in a 2005 assessment. Sadly, 33 fatalities occurred on this section of the two-lane road between the years of 1997 and February 2005.

Some of these deaths have been marked by friends and families with white crosses within the Right of Way along the roadway. Widening plans for US 17 ACE Basin Segment 1 include the construction of safer, wider shoulders and embankments along either side of the roadway.

If you have information or questions about these memorials, please contact Chris Hernandez, SCDOT Project Manager at (888) 692-9986 or through this site’s contact page.
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Project Updates
March 2008
February 2008