CONWAY, S.C. — Drivers who brave the left turn from Janette Street onto U.S. 701 in Conway, inland from Myrtle Beach, S.C., will soon get a traffic signal, though not the pricier version that was on the table.
The South Carolina Department of Transportation is preparing to start work on a new signal at U.S. 701 South and Janette Street, near South Conway Elementary School. City Administrator Adam Emrick called it one of the most dangerous intersections in the city. Today only a stop sign controls Janette Street, leaving drivers to cross or merge into heavy traffic coming from both directions.
Residents told reporters that pulling out is frightening because of speeding and distracted drivers. Parents who park along the highway at pickup time sometimes cross on foot through traffic, and neighbors said drivers often fail to yield to school buses.
On Monday, Oct. 5, Conway City Council voted unanimously against paying about $350,000 extra for a mast-arm design, which would mount the lights on a horizontal metal arm instead of overhead wires. City staff said the look was not worth the cost. Mayor Barbara Jo Blain said she would rather spend that kind of money at a busier intersection closer to downtown.
The vote does not affect the signal itself, which will still be installed as part of the state project. The city did not have a construction start date.