COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - One of the busiest corridors in the Midlands could soon be getting a makeover, and the South Carolina Department of Transportation wants community input the path forward.

SCDOT is proceeding with a road safety assessment project on Gervais Street from Gist Street near the Congaree River to Millwood Avenue.

The department sought feedback from the community about the project on Thursday night at a public information meeting.

Many people who live in the area said that this stretch of road has deserved some state attention for a long time.

A few are particularly concerned about some left-turn areas along Gervais, which can create high-impact crashes.

All of the data backs up the need for this project.

SCDOT officials say there have been 1,700 crashes along this corridor in the last five years, and at least 70 involving pedestrians.

“I’m definitely not surprised, I do think it’s a heavy crash area,” Daniel Pinckney said. “The speed limit could be a problem here as well so I think it’s a lot to look at here.”

DOT says this location was selected for improvements due to the history of crashes and the sheer volume of pedestrians and cars that pass through it each day.

“Hopefully, a lot of what they’re doing may not be that time-consuming,” Kathy Mahoney, who works on Gervais Street, said. “I live all the way out in Irmo so I know what the interstates – that’s taken a long time, but this might not be that complicated.”

On the agenda for improvements: things like sidewalk upgrades, added signage, additional medians, and LED enhanced traffic signs for pedestrian safety.

Shawn Salley, the project’s program manager, said that speed limits along the corridor would also be examined during this process.

“I think the smallest additions that they’re proposing right here could end up making just overall massive dividends for safety in the area,” Brent Dees, who lives nearby, said at the meeting.

SCDOT officials say the statistics place this corridor in the top 10 most dangerous crash locations in the state.

“The number of accidents that I have witnessed in my 33 years in that building on the corner of Sumter and Gervais, you hear them, when you look out the window, you don’t even know what happened because so many cars have hit, they’re all facing different directions, there are multiple emergency vehicles,” Mahoney said.

Some are worried about whether DOT will follow through on its plans here in a timely fashion, mentioning delays along Hardscrabble Road.

“I’d hate for it to be a situation where something else bad happens for it to be put into the front of the list,” Pinckney said. “Hopefully, there isn’t a delay, but there is some issue there, some concern, so hopefully we just pray for the best.”

Salley said he understands those concerns, but delays with some other projects have to do with securing funding.

He said in this case, the roughly $5 million needed for the project has already been secured through the federal Highway Safety Improvement Program.

SCDOT is also seeking public input on the project online. Residents can submit comments through April 10.

The work here comes amid a similar project along Assembly Street, which is still in the design phase.

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