Hard Scrabble Rd Improvements Project

Road improvement projects, particularly when they involve a road widening, do not happen overnight, nor do they happen in a vacuum. They require a tremendous amount of studying and assessments before construction is able to occur. This is a major factor of why it is vital for advocates to stay tuned to the road planning process, and to remain active from the beginning–changes are very difficult to incorporate later in the project’s timeline. With the knowledge and proper tools, advocates can influence this process in very meaningful ways.

One such project that we’ve kept our eye on is the Hard Scrabble Road widening in Northeast Columbia. This Thursday, SCDOT is hosting another public meeting on the project. The meeting will occur between 5 and 7pm at Rice Creek Elementary School Cafeteria, located at 4751 Hard Scrabble Rd. Related maps and drawings, the environmental assessment, and other pertinent information will be available for public view at the meeting, and for 15 days following the hearing at SCDOT HQ (955 Park Street, Columbia). View the hearing notice below for more details:

It will be very interesting to learn of the proposed bicycle and pedestrian accommodations included in this project. In their initial plans, SCDOT was considering two possibilities: build bike lanes and sidewalks on the entire length of the project or build only a multi-use path on one side of the roadway to extend from Farrow Road to Lake Carolina Blvd.

We strongly encourage you to attend this meeting and share your feedback on the project’s newer proposals. Your feedback is vital to the safety and accessibility of this roadway!