$21 million Dorchester Road Improvement Begins Thursday

Dorchester County breaks ground this week on a $21 million improvement project.

A ceremony kicks off the endeavor 9 a.m. Thursday at the intersection of Dorchester and Bacons Bridge roads. A reception will follow.

The project, which was planned and designed by the engineering firm Davis & Floyd Inc., is designed to help improve Dorchester Road by widening the existing two lanes to five.

“It’s the county’s responsibility to be good stewards of the funds entrusted to us, and this is a prime example of that," Dorchester County Council Chairman Larry Hargett said.

The project is primarily funded through the county's participation in the One-Cent Sales Tax, with a portion of the funds matched from federal dollars, according to Hargett.

"The additional lanes to Dorchester Road will greatly reduce traffic flow, congestion, delays, and most of all, provide a safer driving environment for those visiting and living in the area," Dorchester County Sales Tax Transportation Authority Chairman Marshall Murdaugh said.

The scope of work, performed by L&L Contractors of Andrews, includes 4-foot paved and 6-foot grass shoulders from U.S. 17-A to approximately 0.14 miles west of Orangeburg Road.

The widening will also support curb and gutter installation on the north side from Oak Drive to Trolley Road, with a 10-foot multi-use sidewalk for bicycles and pedestrians.

The improvements are expected to extend Dorchester Road an additional five miles from U.S. 17-A to Trolley Road. 

The project will also enhance the intersection of Dorchester Road and U.S. 17-A, and will lengthen the culvert at Sawmill Branch. 

The Dorchester Road project is one of 22 road projects pinpointed by the Dorchester County Sales Tax Transportation Authority.

For more information on the current road projects, visit the authority's website.